Witchblade: Resurrection
by Hearns
Summary: Based after the Finale of the Witchblade Anime, Masane must solve a mystery that crosses the centuries and generations as she is sent back to Earth to find answers for the two beings she can't get away from. The parents of the Witchblade. R&R. (After two years Ch 22 is up.)
1. Chapter 1

Witchblade: Resurrection

By Shannon Hearn

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All characters or likenesses thereof are owned by Top Cow Comics and Gonzo

Think of this story as being an epilogue to the Witchblade Anime. I am borrowing from the vast Witchblade lore. So for you who are fans of the series or the comics you will find the little tidbits that I have put into this story. And a Special Thanks to RPG for finding all the little grammar errors in this story, a Big thinks goes out to him. Hearns.

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Part 1: Adrift

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Masane drifted through the light. She knew that she had given her life to stop the I-Weapons and the Clone blades from destroying Tokyo and her daughter Rihoko was safe her dad, Reiji Takayama. Masane would have loved to have spent more time with him, but fate as usual had other plans... Now drifting through this... was she in heaven? She didn't know.

"Witchblade..." A female voice called out.

"Witchblade... Daughter why are you here?" The voice called again...

_Witchblade..._ The voice was calling for the... Masane looked down at her wrist... She was still armored... That was when she saw the Angel...

"Witchblade..." The golden haired angel called out as she touched Masane's face. That was when all of Masane's memories started to flow forward. Images of Masane waking up and pulling herself out of the rubble from the destruction of Tokyo during the great quake five plus years ago flooded her mind. The scar on her arm where the Witchblade would place itself on her body years later was prevalent in those memories. Rico as a baby... Rico growing up... Her first feelings of being a bearer of the Witchblade as she killed that first I weapon... then the others... Her first fight with the Clone blades, then... That last Clone blade that had killed her comrades before attacking her near the ruins of the old Tokyo Tower.

"Daughter..." The angel pulled her hand away... "Man... made bearers..." the angel looked worried... "You were copied..." The angel looked like she was about to be sick...

"Rihoko..." Masane felt fall from her lips... The angel returned her hand to Masane's face and images of Masane's daughter started to flow from her mind. Then the angel showed images of the Witchblade... or two creatures made up of Witchblade stuff, mating, and birthing...

"Masane..." The angel rubbed her face. "Do you want to live?"

This was a strange concept... Live... as in being brought back to life... To see Rihoko grow up, to fall in love... Yes... she would want that. That was when she felt the Clone blades...

"Angelus..." A male voice called out, "Our Daughter has..." Masane turned her head to see a male Witchblade figure standing over two very unconscious Clone blades. The blue one with the white hair that had questioned their Clone blades' leader and the pink and blue one... That...

"Yes, I know Darkness." The angel said moving away from Masane... "Our child has been copied..."

"Yes... and this is not like the time when Witchblade split herself into two to protect two hosts."

"Darkness, the bearers of that time, Danielle and Sara knew the risks."

"Angelus... this is our child... There must be balance!" Darkness bent down over the unconscious form of one of the Clone blades and pulled her up by the neck...

"Yes... we must judge the path of these two." The younger of the Clone blades moaned as Darkness's arm reached to the limp body of the young Clone blade and grabbed hold to her wrist then Masane lurched forward as she collapsed to the ground. All Masane could do was see the young Cloneblade girl turn into a very naked human girl. That was when Masane watched as Angelus reached over and picked up the older Clone blade and repeat the same neck pickup and wrist grab Darkness had done.

Masane wanted to throw up from the agony she had seen on these two girl's faces. Though these two had been created to be living weapons. The level of pain she saw on those two faces made every ounce of fear, anger, and sadness tear into her soul.

Gritting her teeth she forced herself to her feet and took a shaky step forward. Forcing herself to take each step Masane could feel the Witchblade almost want to help her. Then Masane realized that for the first time in her life the Witchblade wasn't whispering, it was screaming that it was scared.

_"Please... I don't want to make my parent's angry." _

Masane understood. But she couldn't let... Witchblade's parents kill these two for just being turned into monsters...

"Please..." Masane croaked out as she felt the Witchblade retract from being around her body and sliver to being around her wrist, thus leaving her as Masane realized naked, but literally and figuratively. That was when the two beings turned to look at her. "Please don't hurt them." Masane was able to force out of her mouth.

"The bearer speaks." Masane knew that she would probably be stuck down where she stood.

"Yes… I know…" Masane covered her chest with her arms as she turned sideways to conceal her crotch. "That… that I bear the Witchblade… I know that I want to be separated from it…" That was when the Witchblade flowed into her skin and behind her eyes.

"The bearer… does not wish to be destroyed, I have done much to handle the flow of power around her… she was not chosen by me… She was necessary." Masane felt what this creature that was stuck to her was feeling… Memories… It knew about the quake… It needed to move… it was scared… mortally... Long lived, but mortal… It felt weird having something use your mouth to talk with its… Parents… Crap… These people/beings were its parents… And given that you were attached to this thing, Masane didn't want to get spanked or worse… The worse part wasn't something she wanted to think about.

"Necessary…" Angelus spoke… "Necessary..." Now she was yelling, "Child… these creatures…" Angelus swung the limp unconscious body of the Neogene female like a doll a mother had found on the floor of a her daughter's messy room. "Were created off of you. Now, if you were not my child, I would destroy you where you stand..." Masane forced through the consciousness of the Witchblade to speak.

"I am Amaha Masane, if you have created this thing..." Masane raised her wrist to show the Witchblade to its "mother" "then; you should know that it has given me nothing but hell. I died to save the world from the monsters it kept summoning to me..." That was when the mother lashed out at her.

"HOW dare you speak, bearer..." Masane took a step backwards. "My Child is supposed to keep the balance between the forces of light and of darkness." Angelus threw the naked Clone blade girl past her with such force that the limp girl made a thud to the ground as she rolled and came to a stop. The moan from the girl told Masane that the Neogene was still alive.

"Balance?" Masane shuddered out, she was getting some answers, but they were partial. "Wait... Then... There is bad, and Worse..." Masane rubbed her head as she looked down at the unconscious form that was by her. "Wait... you are telling me that the Witchblade is like some kind of police officer for the forces of Good and Evil?" Angelus looked at Masane as she studied the young girl. The Neogene looked to be no more than eighteen. The other one in well Darkness's hands looked to be almost pre-pubescent. Masane turned to see an imp like creature moving over to fondle the Neogene's breast. As the creature moved in to grab on and start humping one of the girl's large breasts, Masane hauled off and kicked the creature off of the girl. Turning to see that the younger was had been dropped too, Masane rushed to see that several of the imps had started to bite and tear at the younger Neogene's hear.

By the time Masane got to the girl, both of the girl's long braids had been gnawed off by one of imps that looked like Tatsuoki "Father" Furumizu and another imp version of the blue and red Neogene Clone blade Masane had killed in that final battle dragging away the girl's other lock of braided hair. Batting away several of the other imps Masane bent over and started to drag the young girl away and towards the older Neogene girl.

"You are defending those you wished you harm." Darkness watched the scene unfold.

"If the Witchblade is some sort of police officer, then why wasn't I deputized? Given any training? Hell, even some backup to help me out in facing down these creatures." Masane cursed as she shielded the two girls from another unwanted attack from a horny imp.

"As the bearer of the Witchblade, you were to use the skills you have as well as the skills the Witchblade would have given you." Angelus said to Masane.

"Well, it would have worked, if the weapon kept up its side of the deal... Hell, all I got was some killer instincts that I could barely could control." Angelus reached over and grabbed Masane by the neck.

"We shall see." With that all of Masane's memories were an open book to Angelus... Memories that Masane never knew about started to surface. She screamed. It was like she was being forced to watch moments of her life that she would rather forget... Then she remembered the battles, all of them... Even the first one she had during that night she spent in jail... Then she was let go... That was when darkness overwhelmed her. The only thought going through her mind was that of her daughter: "Rihoko ".

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Please read and review, I'll post the next chapter soon.

Hearns


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2: Choices to be made.

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Masane woke up a while latter as the pain started to work its way out of her limbs... It was like having the worse hangover, cold, flu, and physical workout she had ever felt. That was when she felt the hand start patting her face.

"Witchblade..." The voice called as she tried to work out the dark blur to a light fuzzy blur. "Hey Witchblade..." The voice was more forceful. That was about the time she moaned.

"Five more minutes Rico... Mommie has a headache.", groaned Masane, as she batted at the hands striking her face. That was when Masane got one of the nipples on one of her breasts twisted a full three-hundred and sixty degrees. That pretty much got her up. Reeling in pain Masane covered her breast as she rubbed the rawness out of it.

"Glad that you are awake, Witchblade." Masane turned to see through semi-blurry eyes the short-cut black hair of the older Clone blade sitting by her.

"Ouch..." Masane looked down at the reddened nipple that would be turning black and blue in the next few hours. "You could have woken me up more gently?" Masane slid up then quickly covered herself with her hands. "Um... How long have I been...?" The images flooded back to her... commanding the Witchblade to go active, she covered herself with her armor. The idea of wearing this stuff was not something she wanted to undergo.

"I see that you have reverted to your stage one black armor form." The Clone blade said getting up and moving over to Masane.

"So... You're a Neogene?" Masane looked at the girl. Pale, short-cut hair... and the way that girl bit on her fingernail.

"I am..." The Clone blade brought up one of her arms. "Where ever we are the creatures that did this happen to be very powerful." The clear scar on her arm showed that a Witchblade had been removed. "I had half of my Dual blade removed." The girl brought up her other arm to show a copy of Masane's own Witchblade.

"I got that." Masane said as she turned to see a curled up very scared Neogene. "I get the feeling that you are the level headed one of the bunch." The older Neogene stood up.

"I don't believe in getting power, just in seeking an understanding of it." The Neogene reached down and touched her chest. "I hope that you killed that bitch for stabbing me in the chest for questioning her position." Masane was taken aback by this comment.

"Wait..." Masane blinked a few times before she put her hand to her head to rub it a few times with the retracted claw of a hand she had. "You didn't like your fellow Neogene?"

"Not like... I believe that she didn't follow needed advice and lost all that she desired. Power and respect." The Neogene said studying her. "You on the other hand, seem more concerned about others." Masane got uncomfortable by this.

"I am." The Neogene looked at her younger counterpart. "I am thankful for helping save me and Aoi from being killed." Masane was taken back by this.

"Thanks..." Masane looked at the younger Neogene. "You said that her name was Aoi." The older Neogene nodded. "What's yours?"

"Asagi..."

"Asagi..." Masane looked at the youngest of the bunch. "So... I get the feeling that she was fanatically loyal to your former leader."

"She was... from what I heard, Aoi was the only person that old Marie didn't kill during her sparring sessions." There was a shrug. Asagi didn't seem concerned that she was nude.

"So... are you a nudist or..." Asagi looked down at her nude body.

"No... Just that unlike you, I am still recovering from my injuries to my 'blade." Masane looked at the girl's wrist as she watched the other Witchblade on the girl's arm slide around her limbs to patch up the wound. Masane felt sick as she reached over to wrap her blade over Asagi's wound. Asagi looked worried as she felt Masane's blade insert itself into her wound. Asagi gritted her teeth as she started to feel the internal damage start to heal and repair itself. Then Masane let go.

"I... I think that will work for now." Masane moved over to the younger Neogene. "Asagi... Tell me a little about how you two wound up here..." Asagi moved over to watch Masane care for Aoi.

"Well pretty much being in pain, agony, cold ass nudity." Asagi shrugged as she noticed Aoi's wound starting to heal up. "You know... I swear that Aoi is a lesbian given how often I got scolded by her for speaking up against Marie." Asagi started to move her blade around her body to form at least some primitive garments. "Thanks for helping me speeding up my healing process." Asagi placed a hand on Masane' s shoulder.

"Hey... I'm a mom... I'm supposed to look out for kids." Masane grinned as she started working on Aoi's arm.

"Witchblade." Asagi watched Masane work the Witchblade into Aoi's wound tract. "You seem more concerned about helping us rather than fighting us." Asagi knelt down and lent a ribbon from her own blade out to Masane.

"Actually, considering that I understand that Furumizu wanted to use you guys to give birth to himself. No wonder you all are screwed up. But given that not all of you are "Evil"..." Masane raised her hands up and emphasized the word _Evil _with her fingers. "You are all trying to please your father in some way or I think in your case... You know who you are and just a born rebel who has a strong sense of right and wrong. But for the most part, you are a soldier." Asagi moved backwards at this. "Hey you are the level headed one who didn't want to pick a fight with me and I call it as I see it." Masane went back to work using the Witchblade's power to heal the young Neogene. "Given different circumstances, I think that if we met under different circumstances, I think that we might have been friends." Masane grinned as she watched the older Neogene look over towards her friend.

"Witchblade... I..." Asagi studied Masane slowly. "I will be your advisor..." Masane stopped.

"My.. WHAT!" Masane still had several strips of the Witchblade still in Aoi's arm as she lost her balance.

"You do not wish my aid?" Asagi bowed before Masane as she took a moment to recover, but she noticed that Aoi started to bleed.

"No... It's not that... You could have picked a better time to tell me that." Masane rushed over put pressure on the wound with her hand. "Asagi... I need you to wrap your blade ribbons around Aoi's wound and start helping heal her." Masane applied pressure to keep the Neogene's blood from escaping. Masane watched as she did her best to slow the bleeding down and repair the tissue to Aoi.

"You do not seek my council?" Asagi noticed that Masane was more concerned about aiding a former enemy.

"Actually... We can talk council later. Help me patch up you friend here." Asagi offered out tendrils from her blade and Masane guided them into place. After several moments for what felt like an eternity the bleeding had stopped.

"Witchblade..." Asagi looked up after they had patched up Aoi. Masane watched her actions. "I..."

"My name is Masane..." Masane grinned. "You have quite a dispassionate side to you. You seem more concern of learning about me." Masane looked at the Clone blade who was now sleeping and breathing evenly, looked so peaceful. Masane ran a hand through the girl's hair.

"You have proven yourself the most powerful of the wielders."

"Yeah... Well I would give it all up if I could spend time with my daughter." Masane sighed at this. "What about you?" Asagi moved back at this.

"Me?" Asagi looked at Masane like she had grown another head.

"Yeah, you... Given the entire mess down at the Tokyo Tower Ruins you look like you would have swapped sides." Masane was doing her best to pin this girl down.

"Not sides... I bear the Clone blade. I only fight when I have to."

"Same here... But I put my life on the line when others are in danger. I don't know... I mean I don't like the thought of innocent people getting caught up in all this craziness and getting hurt." Masane studied Asagi's reaction.

"You would have avoided battle?" Asagi was going to ground some at Masane's questioning.

"Yeah... Heck... Given that little miss crazy blond twin-tails kept coming after me, I would have avoided the fight. But since she was Hell-bent on getting the Witchblade and was willing to kill to get it. That is, having a person get something as powerful as the Witchblade would equal a whole lot of trouble for people." Masane looked worried. "I won't have someone hurt innocent people especially my daughter to gain power when they are already drunk on the primal instincts the blade already has." Masane raised her wrist to show the blade to Asagi. "I can barely control this thing. But I have a reason to at least know that I have to... especially for the people I care about." Asagi bowed her head before Masane.

"You are a mother... protect is written into your genetic code." Asagi started to break down. "I wish that I knew my mother..." Masane leaned over hugged the Neogene girl.

"I think she would be proud of you." Asagi moved backwards from Masane as if Masane had pulled a knife on her. "I lost my memories of her and… all I can pretty much recall is just fragments of what she looks like. But the feeling is just hugs there in the back of my mind. But I believe that she would be proud that I have helped save a lot of innocent people." Masane paused. "I think your mom would be proud of you to stand up for your friend."

"Proud of me?" Asagi looked scared; Masane decided that given Furumizu's crazy mind she probably thought that her mother was a demon incarnate.

"Sorry…" Masane looked at how Asagi was handling herself. A bit more tack would be required in understanding this girl. "You must think of your mother as some sort of monster." Asagi looked at her with curiosity.

"No, actually I have no feeling for my parents. For I have never known them, and _Father_... I wouldn't call him a loving figure… I exist…" Masane looked at her with sad eyes as she remembered that young Clone blade that she had killed before summoning all the Witchblade's power to destroy the oncoming I-Weapons. "I love you Mommie."

"I am a Mom…" Masane hugged the girl gently in her arms. "I wouldn't mind being a surrogate mom and loving you?" Masane kissed the girl on the forehead. Asagi pushed her away and kicking backwards got some distance between herself and Masane. "Sorry…" Masane looked away… "I must have scared the shit out of you."

"I choose to be myself… I'll be your advisor, but I will not be your child." Masane understood those words.

"Well, consider me your friend." Masane rose up and walked over to Asagi and offered a hand. Asagi was hesitant in offering her hand to Masane but realized that Masane was trying to figure out where Asagi stood. Like a dog sniffing a newcomer to a pack. Masane was pinning down how Asagi worked.

"I will accept your friendship if only if you accept my council." Masane understood. Asagi thought in logic and facts.

"I accept your offer Asagi." Masane grinned. "Listen, can you give me some information about your friend Aoi…" They both heard a moan from the younger Neogene girl.

"You wish me to keep her in line?" Asagi spoke formally.

"No…" Masane thought, this girl is definitely a female version of Hiroki Segawa, Reiji Takayama's assistant. "Not exactly. Can you help me keep her out of trouble? Given our present circumstances, I think we are all going to need each other to survive whatever is going on here." Asagi nodded.

"I will do my best to aid you." Asagi knelt down to see that Aoi was groggily rolling over onto her stomach.

"Well I think that we better help wake up your little mermaid here." Asagi looked at her like she had said, "Cows make Soda Pop."

"Mermaid?" Asagi looked her losing the reference. "How can you compare Aoi to a mythical hybrid sea creature?"

"Never mind…" Masane knelt down and with a command from her mind, politely asked the Witchblade to retract itself from her hands. As the Witchblade retracted itself from around her hands, she watched. Had it behaved the same way for the previous bearers? Since she had died, the Witchblade seemed to be, well the best she could put it understanding her. When the blade had pulled itself off of her hands and she saw her fingernails... the blade spoke to her. _I'm Scared... _Masane nodded in response. _I understand. _Masane thought to it. _I am too._ The Witchblade was acting like, well a person and not something that wanted to dominate her. This was probably due to the circumstances that she and it found themselves in. Masane reached over and started to rub the young Clone blade's face slowly. The girl looked and seemed less dangerous to her right now than she had in her attack form. Masane thought about the living hell this girl must have gone through. Being used as a means to create a living womb for some screwed up guy.

"Marie..." The girl spoke as she grinned. "I like how you are touching my face." Marie... Aoi was talking about the blond Clone blade girl. "I like dressing up in your old clothes, I like how they smell of you. Can I have them?" Okay... creepy thought. What was Marie to this girl.

"Aoi... time to get up..." Masane said softly...

"Just five more minutes... I just got comfy... I had a nightmare about you dying... That I died..." Aoi curled up in a ball, Masane could sympathize with the girl. "That I got brought back by some monsters. That they ripped one of my Dual blades from me. That the Witchblade was there, but she wasn't attacking me. She wanted to save me... It was horrible." The girl curled up tighter to stay warm.

"Aoi..." Masane said softly... rubbing the girl's bare shoulder. "We need you to get up." Masane braced herself for an assault. What she got instead of anger was... Well when Aoi opened her eyes was the look of pure abstract terror. The girl started to kick away from Masane as she backtracked her way across the floor of the cave-like alcove Masane and the Neogenes had been dumped into.

"You..." the young Neogene pointed a finger towards Masane. The fear could be felt in her voice... "You..." adrenaline and fear stuck in her throat as she pushed against the living wall of the cave. "...killed me..." Aoi sunk to the floor and started crying. "Is this Hell? I was loyal..."

"Aoi..." Asagi moved forward. Her Black armor and blue flesh toned face that was highlighted with a pair of yellow lightning strikes across her face showed concern. "We..." Aoi curled up tight. Her naked body contorted to stay warm. Masane moved slowly over to the girl.

"Aoi, I understand how scared you are..." Masane offered a bare hand to the girl. The girl just cringed at it presence.

"No you don't... You didn't have everything you care about, everything you would die to keep... taken from you." The young girl whimpered. Masane bit her lip.

"You loved Marie didn't you?" Masane leaned against the "rock" wall and just let the girl slowly get comfortable. "You would give your life to protect her, make sure that she was safe. I know. That she is gone... But by whatever circumstances, I think that she needed your help in more ways..." Masane just let the girl come to her on her terms. "Tell me about your friend Marie." Aoi cringed more at this.

"It doesn't matter, I am dead... I wasn't strong enough to help her." Aoi cried at this.

"Yeah... Sometimes we can't help someone who thinks that they can't be helped. Sometimes there are people that we cannot save who wish not to be saved." Masane reached out to touch the girl's shoulder. "Sometimes, we need to give them love so that they can be saved..." Masane looked down at her hands. "I don't deserve your forgiveness for what I did. But, I needed to stop something from happening and you were caught in the mess. Marie, if events had been different I would have been able to help. She was very powerful, but in the end I think she wanted to die to be with her mom. I am an orphan too. Lots of kids lost their parents due to the Ground Zero event... I am one of them... You are too. I think your friend Marie just wanted to be with her family again." Aoi got angry at this.

"No... No... NOOOO... Marie wanted the power of the Witchblade... She wanted to be strong, powerful..." Masane looked at her wrist where the blade lay under the armor it formed around her body.

"She wanted to bring back her dead mother..." Masane looked up to the roof of the cave. "Don't know but Marie, I feel is at rest and is with her mother..." Masane reached out to the girl. "You... Asagi... I don't know why, but I think the Parents of the Witchblade wish to have a little talk with us." Aoi looked to see Asagi in her armored form leaning against a rock, biting on her fingernail.

"Aoi... The Witchblade here is offering a chance for us to be its servants. Its creators are not pleased that we exist. But Masane, the Witchblade's current chosen barer has decided that we should be kept alive." Asagi moved from the wall. "I know where my loyalties lie. Do you Aoi... Would you want to be destroyed for merely existing or do you wish to learn the true power behind the Witchblade and serve that." Asagi was a little domineering at saying these facts but Masane understood where she was coming from. Learn the power of the Witchblade or die? Not a comforting thought for her. Aoi looked scared... Masane didn't blame her.

"Asagi... listen scaring the crap out of Aoi won't help her, but right now we need to at least figure out what the Parents of the Witchblade want." Masane said using her head. There was no money in this for her, it was just survival and getting back to her daughter that mattered right now.

"Aoi..." Masane reached over and rubbed the girl's face with her thumb. "We are in a situation where we will all need to lean on each other to survive. Now I need you to stick close to Asagi and myself if we are to get out of this place intact." Aoi just nodded at this. "Masane... you said that we need to all get out of her alive. I will keep an eye on Aoi so that you can talk with the creators or the Witchblade." Masane didn't know if this was a power grab or probably Asagi was doing what Masane told her to do earlier, but time had run out as several figures came into the cave structure they were all in.

"Aoi... I was able to prevent Witchblade's parental units from taking your other blade from you." Aoi looked down at her arms to see that one of her blades had been taken off of her arm, but the other was left on her. "You better armor up." Aoi bit her teeth as she let the blade react to her thoughts and form her pink and blue armor around her body. Masane noticed that the girl looked less intimidating minus the scythe-hooks on the ends of her now chewed off double-tails.

"Masane..." Asagi motioned the Blade bearer over. "I think, your advice of having Aoi stick near me is a wise idea." Masane understood. Aoi looked liked easy prey for whatever was here.

"Yeah... Listen if you sense things are going to get out of hand, I need you to take Aoi and bolt." Asagi nodded.

"I understand."

"Blade bearer..." A hesitant female voice spoke as all three Blade bearers turned to see the figures come into full view. Two of the figures looked like Angels, a male and a female, both of which carried spears and armor that consisted of Witchblade stuff and horns. Then the one that spoke looked almost beautiful. Well considering that she looked like she was wearing a bodysuit made of Witchblade armor.

"Um, which one of you is the..." the woman looked around her, blond hair slick hang across the woman's head looked like it had been drenched in sweat started to bit her lip when she saw three Blade bearers before her. Aoi drew her claws in a defensive stance not knowing this person was friend or foe. "Ah..." The woman looked at the Blade bearers. "Listen. I'm a bit out of my element here, but... is that one kind of young to be the bearer of the Witchblade?" She pointed towards Aoi with concern that what was going to happen next wasn't meant to be seen by a child.

"Don't worry about Aoi..." Masane spoke sternly. "If you have been sent by The Darkness and Angelus... Then all three of us are Blade bearers. I have the original and the other two have copies... But that doesn't mean they aren't as dangerous as the Original." Masane stepped forward. Asagi took a stance as she moved towards Aoi to aid her if she needed the help.

The woman and the Two Angels moved towards Masane and knelt before her.

"I am Elle... Concubine to The Darkness." The woman looked truly scared of Masane as if she adverted her eyes from her. "I have been dispatched along with two of Angelus's Heralds to bring you forth to my Master and his Queen." The two angels looked sternly towards Asagi and Aoi.

"I will only come if the Clone blades are with me." Masane stated knowing that if this was going to be a rematch with _Mom and Dad_. Having some backup wouldn't hurt. Asagi nodded in agreement. Aoi, well Masane needed to learned where she stood, but given the circumstances they were in. The time Masane would need to know where the young Neogene stood was out. Masane knew that she had to pray that Aoi didn't do anything stupid as she had done at the ruins of the Tokyo Tower.

"Understood." Elle looked almost afraid of what was going to happen to her if she failed in her mission. Masane reached over to place a hand on the woman's' shoulder.

"Listen... Are you afraid of me, or afraid of what you have been hearing from your Master about what he plans to do to me?" Masane let the question go as Elle looked at her.

"Both..." Masane understood.

"Asagi, Aoi..." Masane spoke towards the two Neogene girls. "Let's go with them. But remember, stick together. We might not get another chance to find out about what is going on here." Asagi and Aoi nodded.

"I understand Masane." Asagi said as she took Aoi by the hand and pulled her behind her. Aoi looked scared shitless, and Masane didn't blame her. Masane wanted to throw-up too, but survival now took priority.

_Okay, Witchblade... I dragged you into Hell. Now, you are going to help me figure out why your parents are so ticked at me. _Masane thought towards the Witchblade.

_Masane... I think you already know why..._ With that the Witchblade went silent as the Three Blade bearers followed out their guides from both Heaven and Hell to have a little sit down with the Witchblade's progenitors.

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Next Part 3: Judge, Jury, Parental Units

Please post some reviews about what you think of the story so far. I want to know what you think of the story so far.

Hearns


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3: Judge, Jury, Parental Units

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The Journey to see Darkness and Angelus by the Heralds and the Harm Girl was uneventful. Masane looked at the landscape; the place looked like a mixture of peaceful planes and hills that were bathed in light followed by rock outcroppings that were drenched in shadows as Masane followed the trio of beings before her. The Harm girl moved close to the shadows... It was as if she was afraid that the light would hurt her. The same circumstances followed the Angelic Heralds but they stuck towards the light.

"Asagi..." Masane dropped back to speak with the Black and Blue Clone blade. "Are you seeing what I am seeing?" Asagi nodded.

"I do..." Asagi pointed with a clawed finger towards the shadows. "It seems that the monsters are keeping to the shadows while the angelic figures seem to stick with the light." Masane nodded.

"Yeah, and this place has a feel like it is a mixture of pictures of Tibet and China and a little bit of..."

"The volcanic pits of Hawaii..." Asagi added. "Yeah I noticed that..." Aoi looked like sticking next to Asagi and Masane was the best thing to do as a Hellhound beast barked at her as it was tearing at a... Masane held back her vomiting when she saw it chewing on a scared to hell naked Nubian girl. Entrails stank up the trail as the exposed naked flesh was torn way and chewed on by the hell animal.

"Okay... looks like we are walking through the Hell portion of this place." Masane watched as the steady line of child soldiers from Africa stood naked waiting to become dog chow.

"Child soldiers..." Elle spoke up... "Born to become soldiers... They know no other way." Elle moved over to Masane. "They have to spend time in Purgatory before their souls can be set free."

"What about the girl we saw?" Aoi spoke up worried that her fate would be the same as the girl being torn apart that she had seen.

"Murder..." Elle said as one of the Angels, the female one raised a hand and Elle stopped speaking.

"That one..." The Angel spoke slowly... "Killed her family before she committed suicide. She was to be placed the torture bins till she served her time for the lifetimes she had removed from those she murdered." There as a pause. "Everyone has a lifespan... When a person dies before their time, that length of time is tacked onto their murder's own time in the afterlife of the pain they have brought to their victims after they die. In simple terms... Kill someone, and the time you spend in Hell is the length of the lifetime your victim would have lived. In some cases it adds up to a few centuries." Aoi shook at this concept.

"Would this be added to someone who kills a bad person...?" Aoi showed worry in her voice.

"Young one..." The female Angel spoke, "You have nothing to fear... unless..." Aoi clung to Masane. "...you have killed an innocent."

"No I haven't!" Aoi spoke up in defense. "I only killed..." There was a pause as Aoi couldn't come forth to say it. Asagi just grinned at this.

"Not so smug now considering what Marie had you do. Or do you consider what Marie's previous victims of her sparring sessions went through. Hum, Makes you think." Asagi grinned at Aoi as her jaw hit the floor.

""What about us? Masane spoke up. "Listen, I know that the Witchblade is very powerful. But there are some things I need to understand. Where you are taking us?" Masane paused and the Male Angel turned around.

"Angelus and Darkness wish to see your case?"

"A TRIAL?" Masane's jaw hit the floor at the realization of what was going on. "Wait a minute; I am going to be put on trial for being the bearer of the Witchblade?" The question hung in the air as Masane looked worried.

"No." The angel spoke up, this time the male one turned to face her dead on. "No Witchblade." He kneeled before her. "This is going to be reviewed and the testimony of why Witchblade had been duplicated." The Angel pointed to Asagi and Aoi. Asagi looked worried at this. Masane realized that it wasn't her life at stake; it was the Clone blades whose lives that were at stake. "Oh Shit..." Masane said as the situation presented itself towards her in its complete total ugliness.

* * *

After walking for several minutes through the various segway sections of Heaven, Hell and Purgatory the group of Witchblades, Angels, and Herm girl finally reached an amphitheater constructed out what looked to be a mixture of rock and... well... living matter. Several beings moved around them, one of them looking like a saber tooth cat that had a leather harness on it. The place gave off a feeling of dread and of hope... Masane felt like she was going to throw up or take a peaceful nap. But she didn't know which way to go.

"Impressive." The female Angel spoke towards her... Masane nodded at this.

"So... Masane's destiny is safe, but it is ours that is in question?" Asagi spoke up as she watched several beings move around. The Angels looked normal enough; some had horns, others, well look like they merely wore robes. Next to them, well Imps moved around next to various beasts and other... well Herm girls like Elle.

"Yes... most of the creations of Darkness and Angelus are here to see what the creations of the Witchblade are like." Elle moved over to Asagi.

"Oh..." Asagi turned to see several other individuals gathered near several tables forged out of Witchblade material. They looked human, well given that some of them looked like they were wearing well spandex and body armor.

"Hey, who are the folks standing at that table?" Masane spoke as she looked at the figures.

"They are the previous bearers of the Witchblade or their allies." Masane looked at several of the faces. Some looked not too happy to be here. One of the people, an older woman looked to have white skin and a tattoo on her face. There was a bit of sadness to her face as she looked at Masane. The woman looked to be at least in her sixties or more.

"So this is the barer of the Witchblade?" The woman spoke as she moved over to Masane to size her up. Masane felt uncomfortable as she felt the woman reach over and touch her. "Sorry..." The woman withdrew her hand as she looked at the Clone blades... "You must be seriously fucked up to be in this type of mess." The woman spoke as she saw Aoi... "Boy... They are getting younger every year. I have a granddaughter her age." Masane winced at this as the woman moved over and knelt down to Aoi's eye level. "Did you chose the blade or did it choose you?" The woman asked softly as she licked her thumb and rubbed Aoi's forehead to clean some dirt off of it. Aoi didn't know how to react to this woman as Asagi turned towards this figure.

"Who are you?" Asagi spoke with concern.

"I am Carin Taylor. I was born in 1980, and I am a retired superhero." The woman spoke as she turned to Asagi. "Now, given that I spent some of my retirement working as a child advocate..." Masane looked worried at this. "I have personal experience in dealing with the Court of Light and Darkness." At this Angelus entered the amphitheater and the two of them looked at each other with distain.

"You know Angelus?" Masane looked at the woman as she turned towards her.

"You might say that." The woman gritted her teeth. "She used me as a host one time. Nearly got several of my friends killed. I was not a happy camper from that incident."

"Okay..." Masane backed off some from the woman. That was when she backed into a man with a sword. "Sorry..."

"Witchblade..." the man nodded towards her. "Understand that you carry the Demon's claw, it seeks power and violence, and lusts for it. You must have strength of bear the claw, and temperance in knowing that if it controls you, it will not stop until everything you love will be destroyed." The man spoke as he held the sword before the Clone blades. "When that happens there is only two ways of stopping you." Aoi shuddered at this. "To chop off your head..." The man stared down the Clone blades with sternness that even Asagi got the point of the other option he was going to say to them. "...or your arm." Masane looked at her arm that bore the blade. Well at least she now knew that someone knew how to get through the defenses to get the blade off, but it was an option that if you needed to keep both of your arms, it wasn't for you. "I am Kou... and the girl that I was in love with became the barer of the Witchblade and to save her life, I cut off her arm." All three Witchblades looked at each other and understood that whatever was happening, they had an executioner. That was when Angelus and Darkness entered the amphitheater and everyone and everything came to a stop.

"Witchblade, you have been brought here before this council to tell the reasons why you have been duplicated." Angelus stood before a throne surrounded in light. Masane stood there agape as she saw how dangerous this being could be as several Angels hung by her side armed with several spears, bows, and swords. Darkness entered the scene clothed in his namesake as several creatures followed him around. Elle seemed to hang back as she moved towards Darkness's side before sitting down on a small stool by his side.

"Witchblade... You will state the events of why the duplicates of you were created." Darkness spoke as Masane, Asagi and Aoi looked at each other. Masane knew that she had to stand up for these two. They at least deserved a chance for redemption.

Masane cleared her throat, before she started speaking.

"Darkness, Angelus..." Masane moved from around the table she was at and approached Darkness and Angelus with all the will she possessed to keep Witchblade from pulling off of her and leaving her literally naked before these two beings. "I know that whatever Witchblade..." Masane stopped and restated her approach. "Let me start again, my name is Amaha Masane... or that was name after Witchblade found me. I do not remember my life before Witchblade found me, but I know that we needed each other to survive. Witchblade found my body in a pretty much damaged condition." Masane started to sort through what she remembered of the night of the Ground Zero event. "The Witchblade found me naked, overheating and moments from deaths door after I had been slipped some GHB in a drink at some club I went to." The Witchblade took over and used her mouth to speak its thoughts to the audience.

"Masane... The bearer was not perfect but was necessary for what I needed to get done." Witchblade looked more docile as it altered Masane's appearance to show more of its heritage. "The previous barer used her knowledge once I was attached to her to duplicate me. At first I usually undergo some poking and prodding, but the subsequent experimentation led me to becoming a slave. Knowing that she would use her own genetics to search out others with the same compatibility, that of her daughter. I knew that I must make an escape." Witchblade paused as images of Rihoko were shown before Masane's mind. "Knowing that the child she bore would be subject to the same experiments I was. I made a choice to when the opportunity presented itself, I would save myself and the child. The plan was to delay or at least deny the previous barer precious information she needed for the process..." The amphitheatre got quiet as Asagi came forward next to Masane/Witchblade.

"In realization all the Witchblade did was to slow down "Lady" Reina Sohou's study of the blade. By the time the Witchblade had made its escape, there had been several first generation duplications made of the Witchblade." Asagi spoke as she was worried that she may have sunk any hope of her or Aoi getting out of this mess. "Without the Witchblade, Lady Sohou was forced to make improvements to the systems that she only knew about. Thus as a result, each of the Clone blades created such as myself and Aoi here..." Asagi motioned towards Aoi as the young Clone blade came around the table and presented herself towards the Witchblade's progenitors. "Were based on the available information of what the previous bearers were capable of doing."

"Each of these Clone blades was designed to improve Tatsuoki "Father" Furumizu's odds of giving birth to himself." Witchblade took over as Aoi nervously looked around as she forced herself to speak up.

"Father is dead... Marie killed him. His goal to give birth to himself again was removed and thus the third generations of Clone blades such as Marie do not have the same goals and objectives he did." Aoi looked around worried that this information would get her killed.

"Is this true?" Darkness spoke up as he rose from his throne. Asagi nodded in response to this. Masane looked at the two Clone blades with shock that there had been a coup within the NSWF ranks.

"Then what are the Clone blades goals after the loss of Furumizu?" Angelus spoke up as she watched the two Clone blades actions as they looked towards Masane for cues of what to do next.

"I do not know..." Masane spoke up this time using her own voice. "I mean that ..." Masane worked her way through her fears and started to speak with the facts she now knew. "In the past few encounters I have had with the Clone blades, they seem to look for the strongest one around to follow. They don't have a central ideology to follow, or a code of what to do." Masane breathed slowly. "I am a mother, my goals have been to protect my daughter from harm and ensure that she has a future." Masane turned to look at the Clone blades to see what she had been able to pin down about them from her own experience. "Furumizu used them as weapons; they need to connect with their humanity. They need to be loved." This is when Witchblade took over.

"I have lived for countless centuries and I have seen children turned into weapons, ranging from carrying poison touch, to being soldiers, to being walking bombs." Witchblade started to lean forward as Carin came to join the group.

"I know what it is like to be turned into a weapon." Carin said as her white albino skin stood out from the mixture of light and darkness. "The Cloneblades have been through a phase in their development where if guided right, the Witchblade could become their leader."

"Yes... a leader of what... A hoard..." Kou came before the progenitors of the Witchblade. "I have seen the type of damage the Witchblade is capable of. The way that it tears into the very soul of its bearer, to fulfill its desires for the lust of violence and carnal pleasure." Kou spoke out emphasizing each point with the hilt of his sword at the direction of each of the Witchblades. Masane looked worried at this. What had Kou gone through with the Witchblade to make him so bitter towards people having it or at least trying to find a way to remove the 'blade from them?

"But if those urges could be controlled..." Masane spoke carefully towards Darkness and Angelus. "... then the Clone blades could be removed or at least the bearers could lead normal lives." Masane held her breath as the two judges of this court summed up the decisions placed before them.

"I see that the both of you have being forged from yourselves." Asagi spoke as she studied the occupants of this court. "I see that we are no different. We are forged from the Witchblade, though not by its choice. We do exist, I have pledge my loyalty towards Masane." Asagi gestured to Masane. "It will take time but other will side with her." Aoi started to feel uneasy at this then something snapped in the girl.

"I WANT MY MARIE BACK!" Aoi lunged at Masane out of pure instinct. Masane and Asagi took cover as a white beam of light hit Aoi... Angelus stood there with a hand raised as Aoi was frozen in the beam. Walking slowly over Angelus stuck her hand into the light and grabbed Aoi by the throat and let two tentacles from her hand work into Aoi's nose, mouth, and eyes. Masane was about to rush over as Aoi twitched in pain for several long seconds before Angelus let the girl go and the light disappeared. Aoi made a sickening thud on the ground as Angelus looked at her hand as Masane rolled the girl over to see several lines of blood streaking out of her eyes and nose.

"Masane..." Angelus spoke getting the entire room's attention. "This one..." Angelus pointed towards Aoi. "... is a good example of the case you plead towards us." Asagi moved over to help Masane pull Aoi to her feet. Carin pulled out a handkerchief from her pocket and started to rub Aoi's face clean of the blood.

"What did you learn Angelus?" Darkness rose to his feet as Elle moved beside him.

"That it is time for the Witchblade to have servants." Angelus spoke as Elle touched Aoi's form. "This one was concerned about one that lost... She looked lost." Elle started to rub Aoi's face as Elle's skin started to burn under Angelus's light; she looked like she was going to be squashed like a bug by a flyswatter.

"Master Darkness..." Elle spoke up as she looked at Aoi with fear. "Is this the fate of all of the Witchblade's servants?" Darkness reached over to touch Masane on the shoulder.

"Masane, Witchblade..." Darkness pointed towards Aoi's body as a low moan came from the girl's body. "This mess must be cleaned up so that balance is restored."

Kou knelt down by Aoi and slapped her across the face. Aoi shot awake as she shifted back in fear form Kou's stern look towards her. "Child... Darkness and Angelus are in the process of making your final decision. Now you must understand the decisions you are about to make about you." Aoi's eyes open to show fear as she looked around to see the people gathered around her.

"Witchblade..." Angelus spoke as Elle helped up Aoi from the floor. "You are part of this mess. You failed to stop your bearer from abusing your power and thus we have to deal with them." Angelus pointed toward the Clone blade that she had in her hand. "A suitable punishment for you would have been destroying you. But nooo... that wouldn't work for the mess you have created." Angelus moved next to Darkness. "If we destroyed you, then we would have no one who could deal with the problem before us." Darkness took over from this.

"Witchblade..." Darkness growled towards Masane. "How many of these... These... Doppelgangers were created?" Asagi decided to spill.

"Darkness..." Asagi cleared her throat... "There were many of my sisters created. Some of us have one Clone blade attached to us while others like me and Aoi here had two on us." Asagi moved forward slowly. "If these bearers such as me and Aoi could have a blade removed from us, then we would gladly obey and remove the second blade from those who bear them."

"If the number of these duplicate blades were reduced or at least given to a bearer per blade then Witchblade we will grant you leadership over these servants..." Darkness looked down at the Clone blade that he had in his hand. "... If you fail to gain command over these blades and their bearers..." Darkness looked stern as Angelus started to smirk. "Then these blades will become ours to command and we will be sending them after you."

"Okay..." Masane spoke softly as she realized she was in deep shit about this time.

"Balance must be restored Witchblade... You know of the contract between the Light and the Dark."

"What contract?" Asagi spoke up as in a flash of light the two Clone blades and Masane thrown through a portal and the three of them were falling. With deafening Crash the three women hit frigid ocean water. Pain ripping through Masane's body, she swam to the surface to see that like her Aoi and Asagi had been returned to the world of the living as they broke the surface of the water... A la Terminator...

"Okay..." Masane panted through the pain in her body. "Did anyone catch the part of the Contract?" Masane treaded water. "Because I completely lost that part, or did they just skip over that part during that..."

"Trail..." Aoi looked around shaking her head free of the cobwebs and the haze that was formed around her mind. "I think they skipped over that part."

"Well, considering that we are back in the world of the living, I think we better get to shore to come up with a game plan. Because I get the feeling that what we just went through was just the beginning of what is to come for all three of us." Masane nodded in agreement.

"Well, let's start swimming. The least of our worries is that the police will catch us for skinny-dipping." Masane said as she started swimming towards the nearest outcropping of semi-submerged building that stuck through the surface of the water.

* * *

Next chapter: Getting to shore and other messes along the way.

* * *

Chapter Notes:

Borrowing from Witchblade Lore the three guest characters in this chapter are.

**Kou **- (Witchblade Takeru) Takeru (the Witchblade bearer of that time who had the Witchblade brought over from America by her mother, the daughter of a Buddhist priestess.) Her best friend Kou comes from a long line of demon slayers and they grew up together both rejecting and embracing their magical heritages throughout the story. During the course of the story the Witchblade took away Takeru's free will after a fight with a Oni Demon who slew her family. It took years for her to recover after the loss of her arm that Kou had to chop off to save her life.

**Carin Taylor** (Cyberforce) Carin is also known as Velocity, a Cybernetically enhanced Mutant with Alien technology integrated into her body, and one time host to the Angelus. Was an adventurer in her youth after escaping from a corporation who took mutants and added cybernetic technology to them to make them into living weapons. Capable of superhuman speed reaching an excess of 10,000 mph on foot. Wound up being saved by a cadre of other cybernetically enhanced mutants who fought against the company that created them. After gaining skills as she got older, she decided to fight for children's rights and became a child advocate. She is one of a number of individuals who is compatible with Angelus as a human host. Helped protect a previous Witchblade bearer named Sara Pezzini (a New York police officer) to give birth to her daughter Hope.

**Elle **(Darkness) A creation of Jackie Estacado's, his first fully functional, and accurate attempt at making a human being. Later betrayed him while living in Sierra Muñoz under the tutorage of Professor Kirchner. Last shown in the Darkness comics as being pregnant with Jackie Estacado's child.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4: Getting to shore and other messes along the way.

* * *

Masane started swimming towards the structure. It kind of felt nice swimming in the ocean in the nude. No clothing to slow her down, but boy did the water felt cold when it climbed into your butt cheeks. Aoi seemed a little changed since her initial return to the world of the living. What had Angelus done to her? What did Angelus learn from her that made her so hot to get her and Masane back to the world of the living?

_This one was concerned about one that lost... She looked lost. _

Masane kept swimming as Asagi moved next to her, Asagi's form looked to be more, well older from the experience.

"Masane..." Asagi spoke between arm strokes. "You look deep in thought?" Masane turned towards her.

"Yeah..." Masane held her place as she treaded water. Aoi stopped too. The girl's silver hair bobbed lightly in the water. "It was what happened to Aoi there?" Aoi looked worried. Asagi turned towards her.

"Aoi I know that you got out of line, but what did Angelus do to you?" Asagi spoke up as Aoi started swimming again. Asagi stroked over to the girl as Aoi started to swim faster. Masane raised her hand and reached out and pulled Asagi to a stop.

"Give her some space..." Masane said as she watched the young Clone blade swim ahead of them. "Whatever she went through was probably not a pleasant experience." Masane started up swimming in the general direction they were all going in.

"Yes..." Asagi understood. "But if the reason we were returned was due to whatever is in her mind, then it must be something important?" Masane nodded.

"Yeah... But I don't think we will be able to get her to open up until she feels safe." Asagi nodded and the two of them continued after the girl.

* * *

Aoi had holes in her mind... there were complete chapters of her life missing. Aoi pushed her body hard as she swam through the water. She had to be loyal... Marie... Images shifted... Friend... Her mind blurred... It was as if she saw things warts and all before her. Marie, protecting her... Not killing her... Wait... she didn't kill her due to father telling her not to... Aoi swam faster... Clothing... She loved the feel of Marie's corset on her body though her small breasts didn't even come close to touching the cups. Marie came over and hugged her running a hand over her bear breast in the corset and giving it a soft sensual squeeze. Aoi felt sharp nails dig across her chest and neck as the smell of her own blood hit the air as Marie licked it... Aoi kicked harder...

Brushing Marie's newly dyed hair as she sat behind her desk. She was a servant... Aoi pushed harder... What had Angelus done to her? It was like she was getting two versions of the events in her mind... Ones that felt warm and others that felt like they were being seen from someone else's eyes... Aoi cried... Then insult to injury... Marie in her Dual blade form... Oh God... Aoi grabbed onto the side of the submerged building with her arms. She sobbed... Marie had gone mad... Her friend had gone mad... And she had been used only as a tool to reach a goal... Even as a goal, now realizing wasn't the all end all of power... Marie... Marie could have been saved... She should have listened to Asagi... Aoi pounded the concrete wall with her arm as she heaved in sadness... She had been blind... Now she saw the mess before her... She let the coldness seep into her body as she peed in the water hoping that urine would take the warmth from her body and leave her a cold lifeless form. An arm reached out and she turned and was held in arm of a caring mother who let her cry on her breasts.

"It's going to be okay Aoi... It's going to be okay."

* * *

Asagi pulled herself up to the topmost edge of the building roof they had swum to. Masane had Aoi in her arms and she let the girl cry out the pain. Hopefully Masane could get some information out of Aoi of what she had been through. Surveying the area Asagi took into range of how far the Witchblade and the Clone blade armored forms could jump. A few places they would be landing in water near the buildings, but that couldn't be helped. Even with the spear tipped ends of the 'blades attaching to the buildings, they were going to be wet for a while until they hit some dry land.

Asagi walked back down to where Masane was rubbing Aoi's shoulder and back as the two of them sat next to each other. Maybe Masane had fished some information out of Aoi. Asagi had no qualms about being nude, but she did have qualms about being cold. The sooner they found some clothing the better. Witchblade armor was good, but it didn't offer the warmth of clothing across naked flesh.

* * *

Kiani watched from the deck of the camouflaged surveillance ship she was on. With all of the Blue technology incorporated into the vessel it could easy slip through any defense network while looking like an unsuspicious fishing boat. Right now her mission was to find out the status of the Witchblade. Lady Aspen had ordered her to search and find the bearer of the Witchblade and learn what had happened to the automated weapons platforms that had traveled across the ocean floor near one of the Blue's settlements. She sighed as she went below the deck and into the main ship where several of the crew was moving around monitoring police and law enforcement frequencies checking for anything that might be flagged as pertaining to the Witchblade. While two of the crew were sleeping in their bunks, Kiani noticed that several had gone and scavenged Abover clothing and one of them was her teenaged granddaughter. She grinned. Killa, daughter of Kava, granddaughter of Kiani child of Killian lay sprawled across her bunk. So much like her mother, Kiani thought as she pulled up the bed sheet across the girl.

Lady Aspen had told her of the ways that the bearer of the Witchblade proved to be a powerful ally, especially against the Atlantic branch of the Blue. For centuries, Kiani remembered her history lessons about how her people migrated from another star system to find a home here on this planet Earth. They avoided contact with the "Abover" or Surface people for the most part until her father did his coup over the royal family. How many Surface people had died because of her father's insane goals? Kiani exhaled at this. How many humans had she killed to protect her people because of her father's actions? The war with the Black, another aquatic race... Mayfield... The American Empire Admiral who had hunted her people to near extinction all because they were aliens who had come to this world to start a new life centuries ago. She looked around at her crew.

In the years since she had become a Swordsmaster and had a family she knew that at one point the humans would find them. But their weapons... Kiani looked at her granddaughter as she sat down on the girl's bunk. What was supposed to be a simple training mission in teaching a group of youth to use the colony transports had turned into a recon mission with the appearance of those automated tanks traveling across the ocean floor. She had field experience, combat knowledge, firsthand experience with the Human world, but her crew... One of the girls had her first bleed. Two of the boys had their voice crack, the rest... teens or old enough to become apprentices... This was a mission that would have been assigned to a professional team. Now... Most of these kids were homesick and wanted to go home. Kiani's train of thought was interrupted as one of the girls of the Southern Islands tribe came over.

"Swordsmaster Kiani." The girl looked to be no older than fifteen as she wore what looked to be an artisan's smock handed Kiani a computer tablet to her. "We detected an energy reading that matches the phenomenon where a group of those automated weapons disappeared at." The girl looked concerned. Kiani read the report. Then she shot up. The girl skirted away afraid that it had been written wrong and would be reprimanded.

"When did this data come in?" Kiani shot with urgency towards the girl. The girl's fell backwards onto the floor.

"Um... the computer finished analyzing the results just a few minutes ago... Ma'am..." The girl was panting in fear.

"Kia, Child I am not going to hurt you." Kiani spoke softly as she moved to help the young girl up. "I need you to get the ship ready, get anyone that doesn't need to fight back into the central living area and bolt the door shut." The girl obeyed as Kiani moved to wake her Granddaughter softly and softly told the young girl to head off with the Artisan girl. Kiani looked towards the bridge of the actual vessel. Up front were three teens Kia's age: Jace, Neri and Brit, Kiani sighed as she walked forward to the command section. "Okay... Kia just gave me the tablet with the information on it." Kiani took her seat in the front of the ship. "I need everyone to their stations or strapped down, Kia are the other children secured?" Over the speaker a voice came through.

"I got everyone strapped into their seats." Kia spoke as Kiani strapped herself in.

"That's good." Kiani turned to the three youth around her. "Neri... I need you to run sensors to locate that energy pulse or anything that has been dosed in the residue of it." The young girl turned as her curly golden brown locks clung to the back of her head. "Jace, Brit, drop and enclose the camouflage ship." The two boys obeyed as the fishing ship segmented into various parts and collapsed into on itself and slid around the main part of the ship as it surfaced to reveal its organic coral tissue technological hull. Kiani flipped a couple of switches on her console and the panels of the fishing boat hid themselves into the advance alien ship. Taking the controls in her hand and pushing the thrusters up to speed the training ship started to skim across the water before the ground effect of the under hull took over and the ship was flying at over 193 kilometers per hour only a meter off of the ocean surface.

"Witchblade, we are coming for you." Kiani spoke as she started to think of what meeting the Witchblade would be like.

* * *

Masane stroked Aoi's hair. The girl had started to come to terms of the events of her life. How she had been used as a weapon, a tool... The images of what those child soldiers were going to spend doing in the afterlife was finally connected to the question Aoi had given to the Angel. Getting a preview of your afterlife was not something this girl needed to see. Masane thought about her daughter Rihoko. Would Rihoko understand what happened? Would she forgive her for leaving? These were all questions that went through Masane's mind as one thought drove her on. I need to contact Rihoko and tell her that I am okay. That was when Asagi came down. She was in her Witchblade form.

"Masane." Asagi knelt down by Masane and Aoi. "I found a route to get us to the shoreline." Asagi said as she watched Masane help Aoi through the emotional storm she was going through.

"Okay..." Masane spoke as Aoi shook in her arms... "...Hey Aoi... How about we keep heading inland?" Aoi looked up, her eyes red with her crying.

"Ah um..." Aoi rubbed the last part of the tears from her eyes. Masane kissed the girl on the forehead. This girl was a completely different creature than the feral animal she had seen before. Maybe this would be a good thing Masane thought as she twisted her buxom form upwards to her feet. Aoi followed with her lathe form.

Masane morphed into her Witchblade form, she decided that going to her classic black would work. Aoi stepped backwards at this. "Aoi... let's get off of this rock." Masane took her hand and retracted her claws, come on Aoi, let's have a race to shore." Masane grinned as she said this. Aoi leapt onto her, as Masane staggered backwards as the young naked girl hugged her with her arms and legs wrapped around her. "AOI..." Masane yelped out as Masane fired a few of the Witchblade's attack blades from her back to prevent her from falling down. Aoi looked up Masane like a child on Christmas day who had just received that one item that makes children hug the stuffing out of the person that had given them that present. Aoi was biting her bottom lip with her teeth when she looked up into Masane's face. Masane understood at that moment that moment that Aoi was now a puppy dog and she was the kid who had gotten stuck in trying to explain to her folks that she had to keep the animal to her folks.

"I will do my best to keep up with you." Masane rubbed the back of Aoi's head as the girl turned her face and started to rub her face into Masane's naked chest. Asagi raised an eyebrow towards this scene.

"Okay, where is Aoi and what have you done to her?" Asagi said as Aoi slid of Masane's naked body and changed to her Clone blade form.

"What do you mean, I am Aoi." The young Neogene girl motioned towards herself as she waited for Masane to change form. Masane gave a quizzical look on her face as she looked towards Asagi. Asagi just raised her shoulders in an "Uh" mannerism. Masane looked back and forth between the two Clone blades and changed into her black Witchblade form.

"Okay, Aoi." Masane spoke up as she walked over to the girl. "Let's get inland so we can figure out some stuff." The girl nodded to Masane. "Asagi lead the way." Asagi started up the low point of the building and ran a few paces before leaping up into the air and landing another a few hundred meters away. "Ready." Masane said as Aoi nodded. Masane and Aoi took a few steps and raced up the incline of the building and jumped in tandem together as they flew through the air to the next building.

Letting Asagi be the navigator on this Masane started to get into how these two girls started to think. Asagi was rational, logical, did what needed to be done. Aoi, was territorial, primal, but like a puppy she latched onto whomever she thought was the most strongest and would make her feel safe. Masane got the sinking feeling whatever Marie had done to earn Aoi's trust was now in doubt and she was looking for the next Alpha female to obey or be close to. The girl needed a mother figure to help her, but also some true friends to allow her to come into her own as a person. The girl was a ticking time bomb if she didn't find the right outlet for her emotions and given the Witchblade she wore, a lethal one at that. Masane's thoughts drifted back to reality as she heard a Police siren sound. Masane came to a stop as she turned to watch the police chase go down. Aoi landed next to her, and motioned for Asagi to come back. Masane leaned to watch the speedboat and police boats speed through the Venice like channels of Tokyo. It wasn't like she hadn't seen a police chase before, she had been in one herself to save her daughter, but wound up wrecking the car. This felt different. That was when she saw the occupants in the speedboat. A humanoid I-weapon... No... Three I-weapons... and a... Masane shot up... a hostage... a girl... Masane just reacted...

"I have to save her..." Masane said as Aoi and Asagi watched in horror as Masane chased after the boat. Aoi and Asagi called out realizing that Masane wasn't going to stop.

"I won't let an innocent die due to my inaction. I am coming." Masane jumped, hopped, wall ran and swung between buildings to catch up with the Speedboat and the young girl onboard. This was someone's child and being a mother that had been separated from her child once; she knew what the living Hell it was like for a mother to be separated from their child. She would save that girl or die trying.

* * *

Next - Chapter 5: Police Chase.

There will be plenty of action in the next chapter.

Now excuse me I have to break out some old Matchbox toys and Legos to choreograph the chase scene.


	5. Chapter 5

Sorry about taking so long to write this chapter, I have had to do a lot of research for the fight. So I had to fly down the street where most of this chase/fight takes place via Google Maps several times while writing it. That and watching a slew of films that had some pretty good chase scenes that match what I wanted to write on. So please take some time after you read this chapter and post a review of it.

Hearns

* * *

Chapter 5: Police Chase

* * *

Masane ran. Her heartbeat was running at a speed that she had never known outside of combat or the dread of missing her daughter. Using the full speed at her disposal Masane followed what was left of Tokyo Highway 1. The former main highway that ran by two blocks from Tokyo Tower was made up of a line of buildings that gave this section of Tokyo a Venice Italy canal feel to it. Unlike its European counterpart; a mixture of Global Warming raised water levels and Earthquake collapsed sections of ground where water filled sinkholes had created a surreal modern landscape. This landscape consisted of buildings that had been built back in the nineteen-sixties till a few years before the Ground Zero event, but Masane didn't care about the architecture or when it was built. Right now she was running as fast as she could push herself and the Witchblade. Her target: the girl in the back of the boat that was surrounded by I-Weapon X-Cons.

* * *

Aoi didn't know what she had done to make Masane leave her. Was it something she had said? Then Aoi as she jumped from rooftop to rooftop saw the boat that Masane was chasing. An I-Weapon... Was Masane running on instinct? Had the lust for battle won out in her? Aoi was scared as she ran harder.

* * *

The speedboat looked to be a runabout type with a large dip section in the front for people to ride in. A mid section control area, and an engine section in the back that looked to have a submachine-gun bolted to it. The girl looked to be in between the control area and the front crew area. Masane started to use her whips to shoot across the buildings to gain speed until she was swinging building to building like a red and blue zentai dressed superhero from a late night TV movie.

* * *

Hiro Masaki a veteran police officer with the Tokyo police for the last ten years had never seen anything like this, between the I-Weapon and a group of thugs committing a kidnapping of some rich guy's kid. Things had been crazy for the last few months with the scandal that broke out about the NSWF Witchblades and the entire Douji Group Industries creation of I-Weapons. The police had to be prepared for the fact that there might be teenagers walking around with the ability to slice and dice a tank with just a thought. No wonder the Los Angeles Police department decided after the Forty-four Minute LA Shootout decided to issue a full assault rifle to be placed in each police cruiser. It proved to be a good deterrent against robbers' amping up the firepower over the past couple of years. Now... Shit... I-Weapon and Witchblade Street gangs. That was when a Witchblade went flying and landed on the front of the boat like some superhero comic book character.

* * *

Masane didn't have much of a plan after catching up to the boat and jumping on it.

"Ah, Crap... I knew that we would get one of those Witchblade thingies if we pulled this off, but Nooooo. You said the cops would avoid us..." One of the thugs said with an assault rifle coming out of his arm.

"Oh... Boys..." Masane leaned forward smooshing her ample bosom between her arms. "Would you like to play?" That was when Masane knew that she had their attention. Then they pulled their guns according to plan.

Masane using her tendrils whipped herself clear of the gunfire as she back flipped off the front of the boat and adhered to the front before her hands/claws changed into octopus like suckers as the I-weapons emptied countless rounds into the front of their boat. Hopefully they would be going to the front of the boat as she Spider-manned her way around the boat.

* * *

Aoi shrieked when she saw Masane fall overboard... She needed to go faster, why had she died? Had she the need to fight that bad. Then Asagi caught up to her.

"What is she doing?" Asagi said to no one as Aoi started to go into a rage. Then Masane appeared again. She had climbed along side of the boat. Aoi turned and started to alter her appearance to something more fiercer, more animal like. Asagi reached out and dragged her down.

"Aoi..." Asagi screamed into Aoi's animalistic face. "Think... Take a hard look at what Masane is doing." Asagi kept leaping building to building next to her compatriot. "Masane cares about others." Asagi pointed out as she saw Masane hanging on the side of the speeding boat. "Take a look at the back of the boat. She is going to save the girl." The green of Aoi's Witchblade eyes became softer as Asagi forced Aoi to look in that specific direction of where Masane was at.

"She... She's on the boat." Aoi stuttered out as she kept up with the boat.

"Yeah..." Asagi said as she realized what Masane was doing.

"She needs help. What should we do?" Aoi turned to Asagi as the boat started to get near a wide Y in the canal.

"I guess... Keep the I-Weapons occupied." Asagi said she leap down one side of the building and started wall running before landing on the front of the boat and started her way up the side of the buildings on the other side of the "street."

* * *

Hiro Masaki watched as news helicopters started to come around the chase area. But it wasn't bad; at least they had some eyes in the sky. But that was when he saw two other Witchblades had joined into this chase. What the hell was going on? They would soon be running out of canal when they came to the end of this row of buildings. If the I-Weapons turned left, then there would be no way to stop them short of calling in the navy. Their only hope was that something came between this speeding boat to force them to turn right and head back into the city. Only a miracle could do this. That was when he saw on the display system that the public sanitation works barge moving slowly through the open area of the ocean. That was when he got on the radio.

"Dispatch, there is a garbage barge near the pursuit area, I need you to hail that captain and have him to swing that ship as hard as he can across the buildings on the east. Hopefully we can bottleneck the direction of where this speedboat is going." There was a moment as a squawk replied back on the radio.

"We will do our best to patch you through." He prayed that if the boat was boxed in they could at least use a sniper to take down the I-Weapons before the girl got killed. But what were these Witchblades going to do? Were they concerned about the girl or were they a rival group that wanted the girl for their own fun.

* * *

Masane was now on the back of the boat as she looked and saw that Asagi and Aoi had started to act as a distraction as they leapt down from the sides of the buildings and started to force the I-Weapons to shot at them. Asagi seemed to have reigned in Aoi and somehow had figured out what she was doing. Damn... She hated not having a plan... Peering over the back of the boat from her laying position on the rear boarding ramp Masane was able to view the hostage situation before her and waited for the right moment to move. Masane had to press herself down flat across the rear section of the boat so that she couldn't be seen. She hoped that I-Weapons would move forward away from the controls so that she could at least grab the girl with her tendril spikes. That was when Aoi landed on the deck with both of her Axes deployed and kicked one of the I-Weapons head at full forced that caused the head of the undead corpse twist at a unnatural angle so that the I-Weapon stumbled and fell backwards as his associates started to start shooting at Aoi again as she leapt off of the boat and started up the wall of the canal they were in. This was the chance Masane needed and she whipped her tendrils around the girl's body and pulled her over the engine block area and leapt onto the nearest building as the I-Weapons turned to see that their prize was taken from them.

* * *

TV-Tokyo News Chopper three was flying its coverage of the traffic conditions around the key road arteries around the city. The helicopter had been flying over to see what road work was being done, but that was when the hostage situation had broken out. Now in the news Helicopter, thanks to the introduction of a software server at the station, the traffic reporter's Sixteen point five megapixel digital camera phone had been turned into the only live camera on the events. He had his hands full watching the entire scene play out the as the flutter of the helicopter blades played in the background. The blockade of boats that the police had established along with a garbage filled transport barge swung across the old Highway 1 and the 301 loop near the old Tokyo Tower site as the bridge work on the 319 roadway overpass acted as the only major obstacle for the speedboat to get by. The police had created a bottle neck where they could at least prevent the boat from going out to sea. But that wasn't what the traffic reporter had his camera phone trained on.

It was the two Witchblades that were acting as a distraction for their friend who was working her way on the back of the boat so that she could grab the I-Weapons hostage. Then what he saw next well could be best termed as amazing. The Black and Red Witchblade grabbed the girl and leapt up onto one of the buildings as the boat swerved to avoid the garbage barge that had been set up as a bottleneck for the speedboat. The girl looked unharmed as she was pulled close to the Witchblade as she worked her way to the top of the building. The speedboat kept accelerating until the other occupants realized that no one was driving the boat, decided to jump ship as their getaway vehicle collided with the overpass as they leapt from the boat and into the water followed by several police boats moving in with heavy weapons aimed at them. That was when one of the armored I-Weapons pulled his head off. It was revealed that the guy was wearing a costume as he surrendered to the authorities in the process trying not to be shot with a fifty-caliber anti-tank rifle that was pointed towards his head as he and his compatriots were fished out of the water.

* * *

Masane was out of breath as she watched Aoi and Asagi swing across the channel so that they landed on the building she was on. Masane looked down at the girl she had saved; she was still shaking from the circumstances she had been rescued from.

"Masane..." Aoi called out as she landed next to her and started to hug the stuffing out of her. Masane felt Aoi's face rub against her breasts as if she was trying to absorb Masane's scent of her skin and armor. Masane reached up and rubbed the back of the girl's head to assure her, but Masane knew that Aoi needed to gain a sense of self where she wasn't imprinting on every strong Alpha female she came across. That was when Asagi butted in.

"What were you thinking?" Asagi scolded her.

"I was saving this girl's life." Masane motioned over to the girl who was scared by the three bio-weapon covered figures standing around her.

"Yeah, and you just reacted... No telling us what you were planning, you just..." Asagi tensed up as she put her hands to her forehead before flinging them out with her fingers clawed out towards herself. "Aaarrggg..." let out her fury with a scream. "Masane..." Asagi started to march forward Masane and Aoi. "YOU ASKED ME TO BE YOUR AID..." Asagi gritted her teeth. "... TO HELP YOU OUT..." The girl was about to shit herself who was now clinging next to Masane. Aoi looked at the girl and the two looked to be the same age as she reached out to Aoi as the two of them bit their lips as they listened to the two elders screaming to stop. "SO... BEFORE YOU DECIDE TO ACT AGAIN..." Asagi was not within arms reach of Masane, Aoi and the rescued hostage girl before she fumed the last words out of her mouth were in the hushed tones of a whisper. "_I expect to be informed before you take any half-assed action like you did_."

Masane moved forward as she slowly moved Aoi and the hostage girl together and moved them behind her. "I am sorry. You are right." Aoi blinked a few times... Marie... _Maria _wouldn't have allowed this insolence, but Masane reached out to Asagi. "I just react, I desire to do the right thing and I don't think things through. Hell I run out of my apartment without my shoes on in order to get somewhere. Reiji, my boyfriend had to chase me down in his car and have me get in so that he could take me hospital to get to my daughter after she collapsed while out shopping at the fresh produce market." Masane exhaled before taking a measured breath in and started to speak. "Asagi, I am sorry about making your job so hard. So the next time I do anything stupid. Just whack me on the side of my head to get my attention." Then Asagi hauled off and slapped her across the face. Aoi jumped backwards and pushed her Axes out of her arms ready for a fight. Masane slowly turned her face back to look at Asagi wincing in pain as she rubbed the soreness out of her face. "Ow..." she said out of breath. "I said whack..." Masane took her declawed hand and gently tapped Asagi on the side of her head. "Not slap me senseless." Masane grinned through the pain; Asagi gave her a strange look not knowing how to handle Masane. "Well, let's see if we can get little miss..." The girl realized that Masane was talking about her.

"Yui-San." She bowed before her a bit scared.

"Yui..." Masane chewed on the name as she slowly walked over to the girl. Aoi retracted her blades and watched Masane's posture with curiosity. "Listen... I know that you are probably scared of us, but..." Masane started to retract her armor. "We are not monsters; this is just um, smart armor." Masane blushed as she retracted so much armor that she looked like she was just wearing a swimsuit, well technically a thong and really massive nipple pasties. The girl reached out and touched Masane's face.

"Are you a Superhero?" the girl spoke up as she started to get a little worried.

"Um... Sort of... I am kind of doing on the job training." Masane grinned. "I am still in the rookie department." The girl looked at Masane's appearance then at Asagi and Aoi's. "So they are wearing the same type of armor you are?" Masane nodded. "Listen how about we get you down from here and hand you over to the police." The girl nodded at this. "Okay let's see if we can work our way down to the highway and drop her off." Asagi looked up and saw that there was a news helicopter hovering around the chase area.

"Masane..." Asagi spoke as she moved over to her and the girl. "Armor up." Masane turned to see the Helicopter coming near them. The last thing she needed was for the Child Welfare department making her life a living hell again for her and Rihoko.

"Gotcha." Masane with those words started to armor up in her Red Witchblade form as the Helicopter drew near. "Okay..." Masane reached over and hand the girl get into her arms. "Yui hold on tight." The girl bear hugged the stuffing out of Masane as she held on for dear life. Aoi bit lip as she watched Masane start leaping rooftop to rooftop towards the highway at the end of the river channel.

* * *

Yui always wondered what it would be like to go rooftop to rooftop with a superhero; she didn't expect it to be so... well jarring. Between the fears she had gone through by being kidnapped by those monster men, then being rescued by the trio of superhero girls. The early morning American breakfast she had before this mess started was on its path on being pushed up from her stomach for the fifth time that day. That was when Masane decided to go off to the right a little bit as the four of them started to work their way through the rooftops to find the shortest pat down to the highway.

The leaps were like someone jumping on the moon in the old video footage she had seen of the first landings on the moon. The later landings showed more detail, but followed the same kangaroo/lemur leap styles that after a while started to make Yui seasick. And Yui only got sea sick... Yui swallowed again as number six was coming up as Masane followed a line of buildings that dropped them in a zigzag pattern down to the highway. That was when Masane came to stop before a police car. The gruff unshaven police officer got out whose clothes looked like he had slept in them for a month drew his weapon. "Here, the girl is safe, see that she gets back to her folks." Masane spoke to police officer as Yui took a few steps before coming to rest on the hood of the police car.

"Masane..." Yui turned around to look at the woman/ superhero that had saved her. "I don't feel so good." The police officer moved over to Yui as Masane walked over and knelt down before the girl.

"You okay?" Masane said as Yui let loose and covered the young superhero in training and the police officer in that morning's breakfast. Aoi jumped back and raised her arms before her in defense in a flinch reaction to the disgusting scene before her. Asagi gave the line that made every police officer present and Witchblade look at her.

"I expected something like this to happen." Yui looked down at Masane a bit upset at covering her in vomit. Masane looked up to see the news helicopter hovering right above them and the saw a camera pointed at her and moaned as the image on her face was immediately broadcast around the world as Masane looked at her self.

"I bet this stuff doesn't happen to Wonder Woman." Masane put her hands to her face and wished that she wasn't going to be the biggest internet download reference for the next few months.

* * *

So how did you all like the chapter? Please post a comment by clicking on the review button below.

Note:

The cell phone technology mentioned in the story actually exists. I got to look at some advertising trade magazines that came through the office at the Station I work at. So the next time you see a video on your local TV station or on the web of a Reporter in the field covering a breaking news event, this is the technology they are using when they can't get a news crew out to the site fast.

Hearns


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6: Getting up to Speed

* * *

This chapter will be a split between the American WB Comic and the Japanese Anime. Several of the characters in this chapter have links to the Comic lore such as Hope Pezzini. Yes I have read through the material of the Broken Trinity Saga. So... There are Human/Witchblade Hybrids that will be appearing in the story. And to my friend Luna who has gotten me to take some time to work on this chapter, the character in this chapter that is named after you is dedicated to you.

Now excuse me I have to delve into my book of "MacGyverisms to build a Scythe that transforms into a Bow. (Sounds of Duct Tape being pulled from the roll and torn with teeth).

Now on with the Story.

Hey Mom... where is the taught line Dad uses to teach Archery?

* * *

Luna Noya'na was stretching out as her Witchblade clung onto her naked body. Things had changed since the Witchblade had chosen her as its wielder, but there was one thing that she hadn't gotten used to and that was the dreams. Other than sharing your body with a creature that could slice and dice a tank faster than a star on Iron Chef, the dreams where Witchblade's way of giving her some of the history of those who had it/her before Luna. Some of the dreams were instructional, some terrifying, others... Well she had no shortage of story material for writing short stories for her romance blog. Now, it was time for exercise. That was when she went through her yoga positions and the Witchblade followed the contours of her body keeping her clothed.

The last few times she had stretched her body during yoga, she had torn at least three sports bras, two t-shirts, and at least five pairs of underwear and having a large window in a place like New York tended to bring about the voyeurs in the city. But the Witchblade, well other than being in the nude and contorting into various positions that would give a homosexual male and erection. It/she kept her clothed in the organic metal that made up the creature... shit that felt good... Luna felt her lower shoulder crack as she felt her body unwind and the Witchblade stretched with her, she heard it giggle in her mind and she grinned as Witchy stretched with her. Then as Luna moved to a different position as the Witchblade moved with her on her exercise mat providing extra limbs in its/her own yoga stances. That was when her phone rang. Luna's body was contorted in such a way where she had her arms and legs in such a position that she couldn't reach for her phone. That was when she closed her eyes and communicated with the Witchblade.

Witchy. Get the phone. Luna thought out as the video on the projected wall screen before her continued to show the instructor counting down the time to be in the yoga position.

No... Witchy stated putting her foot down. I won't be your messenger?

Witchy... It might be important! Luna thought as she felt her body become stuck and tensed up as Witchy slid around her to sense the body position's weight... "Crap..." Luna had gotten stuck as she wiggled her body in a loose attempt to get unstuck.

You stuck again? Luna could feel Witchy grin.

Yeah... Luna's head went down, the phone rang again.

Two hours! Witchy said in Luna's mind.

Two hours of what? Luna thought as she tried to wiggle out of the position she was in.

Two hours of play time, you know: Your body. Me driving. Witchy started to pull parts of herself off of Luna's body and she felt the chill of the room around her as she felt cold air against her... Witchy wouldn't go and removed her bottoms first? As she felt the Witchblade Thong split on her.

One Hour. Luna didn't want to feel cold wet mat on her behind.

Ninety minutes. Witchy started to remove top now as she started to feel Witchy's version of a Brazilian dental floss bikini on her.

Hour-fifteen. Luna compromised and she was covered again.

Deal. Witchy returned as she extended a tendril and found Luna cell phone and flipped it open and put it on speaker as Luna finally was knocked over and freed from her stuck position.

"Hey Luna..." Luna's friend Mikey called out over the phone.

"Hey Mikey." Luna said in her Georgian accented English.

"Listen; there is a live stream on the news-net about a Witchblade like yourself." That was when Witchy stopped arguing with Luna and tapped the favorites tab on the projection media system in her room.

"What..." Luna slid across the floor as she watched the scene unfold from the video feed link. It took her mind to realize that there were three Witchblades on the screen. There were cut backs of footage shot earlier of a police case, Luna blinked a few times. They were jumping, leaping, running at super speed across walls. It looked like a standard police chase, but with heavy weapons fire. The screen was running a real-time translation in a feminine and masculine computer voice of the Japanese language being spoken on screen. The computer was doing its best to keep up with the closed captioning text.

"Yeah, that is what I said when I say this." Michael's voice came over the phone.

"Witchy..." Luna spoke out as her Witchblade looked at the image with her.

_I think that one of them is at least the other half of me._

"Other Half?" Luna spoke aloud.

_Yes... Sorry, I haven't told you. I split myself into two halves so to protect one of my previous bearers. Sara. _

"Sara... Wait you mean Sara the police officer, the one that had a kid that happens to be..." Luna's words hung in the air as she turned to look at the photo that sat by the screen. Hope Pezzini, the older woman who was standing next to Luna in the picture that was taken shortly after she had become connected to the Witchblade. The person who had helped her through so much in understanding who she was to be. Hope had helped her when doubt had clouded her future when she had come to the United States. The one that had her learn to bond with her powers, with Witchy. The woman who she considered like a Godmother. Witchy wrapped herself around Luna in her full armored state that covered her head to toe. Luna felt her brown hair concealed and woven underneath a hood Witchy placed over her head. The violet body armor had red lines and accents on her breasts, elbows, finger-tips and feet, next to the black functional portions that stood out made her look like a woman wearing some fantasy character armor. Well technically more like an armored exo-suit that was skin tight as Witchy clung to her rib cage. Witchy morphed a violet tentacle that had two red eyes on it and swung it in front of her so that Witchy could have a face and "mouth" to her words to Luna.

_Family... Yes. But I do consider you family too. _Witchy snuggled against Luna's cheek as two mini arms pulled out of the tentacle and hugged her in a hand puppet sort of way. Luna rubbed Witchy interactive form with her hand and grinned.

"I consider you family too." Witchy's puppet form's mouth flapped a few times and moved some before Witchy changed her eyes to wrap some of the black lines that make up her puppet eyes and did the puppy dog look at Luna.

_Thank you._ Luna grinned as she leaned in and kissed Witchy.

"Listen; let's see if we can get some more information from Donnie and Zoltan." Luna said as Michael spoke up from the speaker phone.

"Um... Listen if you want me to call back." Michael said awkwardly as Witchy reached out and flew over to grab the phone. That was when Witchy spoke through Luna.

"Michael, this is Witchy..." Luna felt her mouth move as she felt Witchblade take control. "These might be Witchblades, Darkness Harem Girls, or Angelus's servants." There was a long pause. "I need to see if we can get Hope, Master Sifu, or Jessie to fix us up with some plane tickets so that we can see what is going on." That was when Luna put herself in control again. "You heard Witchy, Mikey. I'm going to get dressed and we are going to meet you at Hope's place." There was a pause on the line

"Okay..." Michael said over the phone as Luna felt Witchy revert to her bracelet form and Luna was left standing in front of the projected screen in the nude. "I'll also have to see if April and Cece have any contacts or places you can stay at in Japan." Luna grinned at this. "Hey, I know how expensive a hotel room can get after a month. Trust me. Having someone local or some place you at least know you can rent week by week from tends to be a good thing." Mikey said as there was rustling around in the background on his side of the line.

"Listen, thanks for the lead." Luna grinned as she walked over to a dresser drawer and pulled out a purple pair of panties and bra and slipped them on.

"Don't mention it, I have powers too. At least knowing that you have a trail of bread crumbs to follow to discover that you are not alone with your powers is a good thing." Luna sighed at this as she walked over to her black and purple jeans, red t-shirt and black leather jacket.

"Hey. Mikey." Luna felt Witchy fish under the bed for her boots and pulled them to unlace them for Luna to slip into them. "Thanks." Luna bent over and tied up the boots as Witchy watched the images on the screen wondering which one of the three were its/her other half.

"Thank you my Amazon beauty. Meeting you at Hope's here a bit." Luna grinned at this as she blushed, Witchy grinned too at this at the reference to Luna's ancestral heritage. The phone was pulled from its charging stand and looped into the draw line backpack/purse Luna carried her stuff in as Michael hung up on his side. Luna turned and opened the window and went out to the fire escape. Witchy pressed a line out of herself and slipped in and locked the window behind them. Then stepping onto a create Luna kept outside of her window, she leapt into the air as Witchy unfurled into pair of long purple and red angelic wings and they caught an updraft through the streets and headed off towards Hope Pezzini's loft.

* * *

Masane looked more shocked than the police officer was. Though she didn't need the black and yellow eyes the Witchblade armor offered, but not retracting the protective eye covering would have freaked out the police officer out, but given that she was next to Detective Nakata, a person that she and Yuusuke helped (unofficially of course and he didn't know about it) to solve cases. Nakata seemed less well sympathetic. But given they were covered in more... Masane winced at the smell as she tried to not inhale the... Undigested food stuffs.

"Sorry Masane..." Yui looked at Masane and she was on the verge of crying.

"What did you do to her?" The police officer said as Masane tried to wipe off the vomit from her armor and wincing at the smell of it.

"Trying to save her life..." Masane winced at the chunks that she was shoving off her body. "Just didn't expect that Yui here was holding back the entire..." a large chunk of sausage from that morning's breakfast was pulled out of her cleavage and was dropped with disgust to the ground. "American breakfast buffet."

"Well, considered that you and your friends here interfered in a police investigation and pursuit." Nakata spat out as Masane winced through the scent as she in her Red Witchblade form retracted her blades. That was when she had it as she stood up and marched over and tapped a now clawless finger into Nakata's chest.

"Listen Nakata..." Masane was fighting back the urge to disembowel the Police Detective. "You guys were not going to catch that boat. You thought that these perps were I weapons." Masane's eyes went from their white normal human form to the black and yellow of her Black Witchblade form. Then the eyes slowly faded back to white. "That girl was someone's daughter, I am a Mom, and being separated from your child when someone takes them is a level of Hell that I do not want to journey back into ever again." Masane looked more human in her armor than she had ever been short of standing before Nakata in the nude. "Even if I did interfere with your police pursuit, I would have done what any mother would have done if she had the power to do something. She would have slowed that boat down, distracted them, and knocked the girl off of the boat so that she could be picked up by the chase boats." Masane watched as Asagi was checking how she was she doing as the Black and Blue Clone blade was leaning against the concrete barricade biting on her claws. The other police officers who were coming up on the scene were watching the three of them carefully, but they were keeping their distance. Masane paused.

"Nakata... Listen I just have had a long few days, and trust me. I don't want to fight you. I don't need to fight you. Hell, take me to jail if it makes you feel better." Nakata took a few steps back when she said this. "I didn't ask for these powers, I just want to live my life, be with my daughter. Spend nights underneath the sheets with my boyfriend doing the stuff couples do. Hell, I want to go to university." Masane yelled out in defeat. Nakata slowly reached out to Masane and rubbed her shoulder.

"You seem different than the others I have heard of. You seem more..." Nakata chewed on the word for a moment before he spoke it. "Human."

"Yeah..." Masane could feel the news helicopters hovering around the roadway. "Try with trying to destroy the Witchblade and inadvertently wind up activating the emergency teleport button which leads you to bump into the people that created the Witchblade, not the ones who cloned the darn thing." Masane looked flustered at Nakata as she just kept rambling on. "I mean... _these Clone blades were made off your blade._" Masane looked around not seeing anything just performing actions on automatic. "_You clean it up... You wound up with the blade; they are of the blade... You clean it up._" Masane plopped down on the hood of Nakata's police car. "I mean, just because old Furumizu got hold of this damn gauntlet and ran it through a copy machine, I get stuck cleaning up his mess." Masane was venting. "Oh yeah, you just became their leader so any trouble the Clone blades get into, you have to deal with." Masane ran her hands through her hair. Then Masane moaned as she realized that Nakata had heard everything she had said.

"I'm screwed, aren't I?" Masane fell to her knees in front of Nakata. After a time that felt like forever Nakata reached over and patted Masane on her shoulder. Masane looked up at him a bit scared as the old detective exhaled looking at her.

"So you got stuck with being the leader of the Witchblades... that's what you call your kind?" Masane nodded. "Masane, that's your name right?" Masane nodded again. "Okay... I don't know what the pecking order is among your kind but there are gangs of your people causing trouble around this city. Some are aggressive, causing all sorts of problems. A few are attracting trouble or at the center of it." Masane looked down at the ground.

"Yeah, that pretty much describes me?" Nakata looked at Masane and understood the level of trouble she was in and had to resolve.

"And I have a couple of them that seem to run away when sighted, like they don't want to hurt anyone." Masane swallowed.

"Uh ah..." Masane spoke in an understanding voice. "Went through that when I finally got control of the Witchblade."

"Control?" Nakata spoke aloud to Masane.

"Yeah," Masane looked down at her hand. "The armor grants a lot of power, it is sort of intoxicating, but you have to keep a level head and work with the armor so that you don't destroy everything around you. I don't remember the first few changes other than a haze, but when I slowly got control, I was able to work with the armor so that I could at least aim it. Now I can..." Masane twitched her and controlled the armor around her hand and closing her eyes she changed the armor to her red and black form. Nakata took a step back as he watched Masane's armor change. "I can do a few more things, such as heal wounds such I did with Aoi." Masane pointed over to the blue and pink petite Witchblade girl. "She had two Witchblade put on by Furumizu, one got torn off during a tangle with one of the Witchblades creators." Masane looked worried. "She was bleeding badly when I started to patch her up. She reminds me so much of my daughter; it started to tear me up on the inside."

"You feel like you need help in getting this mess that you found yourself in?" Nakata studied Masane's body language. "You seem like someone who got themselves over their head and want to get back to a normal life." Nakata was seeing Masane more as a victim than as an instigator.

"Yeah..." Masane turned towards him. "I just want to have a normal life, but..." Masane sighed. "Given that I have this mess to clean up, I just wish that I could have some help to reign in all these Clone blades." Nakata reached over and patted her on the shoulder.

"Hey... I can see what I can do on my end to help you out." Masane blinked a few times in shock.

"Wait... You want to help me?" Nakata didn't nod, but just grinned at her.

"Depends on the fact that you keep from acting hero all the time and let the authorities do their job! If all else, you give us information to keep the problems of your kind down." Masane didn't know what to do.

"I don't know what to say?" Masane looked towards Aoi and Asagi to see their reaction.

"What about us?" Aoi spoke up as she moved towards Masane and hugged close to her.

"Same rules apply." Nakata said seeing that this Witchblade girl was just a kid. Heck the Chief had a kid about the same age. "Follow the law, stay out of trouble..."

"I agree." Asagi said as her Black and Blue armor left little to imagination. "Working with the police will probably grant us the ability to learn the total number of active Neo-Genes and Witchblade gauntlets in the local area without having to track them all by ourselves." Nakata looked Asagi up and down seeing that she and Masane were looking at each other to see on unspoken terms of what actions to make. That was their response was about to be made as several members of the press started to break through. Masane looked worried that they were going to be in a larger mess than before. She rushed her answer.

"Okay... I..." Masane looked at her compatriots around her. "We take your offer. I just want one exchange. I want protection from the NSWF for any children that Witchblades such as myself have. I know that we try our best to be parents, but if we could have some help to stay on our feet. We will obey the terms of your agreement." Nakata understood. Masane was a mother, heck she probably had a child with the same powers as herself and he didn't want to see some scare shitless five-year-old tearing apart some Social worker's car just trying to get back to mommy.

"On that term. If a child needs to be taken from Witchblade parents... There should be a Witchblade present to keep the child calm." Masane looked worried at this. That was when a photo flash went off.

"YUUSUKE!" Masane and Nakata screamed out at the same time before they realized that they knew this person as they turned to each other as the photojournalist lowered his camera.

"MMa mmma Melanie..." Yuusuke stammered out looking at Masane as she blushed as she rose up onto her feet.

"Yuusuke. Sooo..." Masane cleared her throat. "What have you been up to?" Nakata's jaw was on the floor when he realized who Masane was.

"Oh... you have to be kidding me..." Nakata slapped his hand across his forehead as he watched the scene unfold.

* * *

Sorry about the late update on this story, but due to work here at the station, I have been a little backlogged and have gotten things to settle down. I'll see if I can get the next chapter up sooner for you all.

Thanks for the reviews.

Please let me know what you think so far, by clicking the little button below.

Next chapter, Masane learns how much time has passed since Tokyo Tower.

Hearns


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7: What has happened?

* * *

Yuusuke looked at Masane, it couldn't be real... She was standing before him...

"MMa mmma Melanie..." Yuusuke stammered out looking at Masane as she blushed as she rose up onto her feet. God, Buddha... Yuusuke.

"Yuusuke... Sooo..." Masane cleared her throat. "What have you been up to?" Nakata's jaw was on the floor when he realized who Masane was.

"Oh... you have to be kidding me..." Nakata slapped his hand across his forehead as he watched the scene unfold.

"You're ALIVE!" Yuusuke flung his hands in front of his face. "I mean the entire..." Masane walked over slowly and stopped him from flinging his arms around like a crazed lunatic.

"Yuusuke." Masane said softly as she touched his face. "It's me." Yuusuke reached out and touched her face. Then he pinched her cheeks hard as he attempted to remove a mask from her face. Masane pulled back as she forced Yuusuke's hands from her now red cheeks. "OW..." Masane shoved him backwards resulting in him slipping on some of vomit on the ground and landing on his behind.

"ma... Melanie?" Yuusuke caught his breath as he looked up at her as she leaned forward to pull him up.

"Yuusuke, what were you thinking?" Masane put her foot down as Yuusuke slapped himself a few times across the face to knock some sense into himself as he looked at Masane's form.

"Oh my God... it is you Melanie!" Yuusuke reached around Masane and started to hug the stuffing out of her. Yuusuke was breaking down emotionally at the realization that his friend was still alive as he started to cry.

"Yuusuke... its okay... um I'm alive..." Masane paused for a moment as the awkwardness started to set in. "Come on... ain't like I have been missing for a few days..." That was when Yuusuke dropped the bombshell on her.

"Masane..." Yuusuke pulled in Melanie's scent realizing it was her. "You have been gone for months?" That was when Masane pushed him back and looked him dead in the eyes in shock.

"MONTHS... I HAVE BEEN GONE FOR MONTHS?" Yuusuke watched Masane's face turn to shock. She didn't know how long she had been gone...

"Yeah..." Yuusuke was a little in shock as Masane sat down on the hood of Nakata's police cruiser. "Months..." Yuusuke moved over to his friend who was now in shock at this revelation...

"How... many?" Masane was in shock now... Yuusuke put a hand on her shoulder as she looked on the verge of crying.

"Five months." Masane looked at him in shock as she digested this information.

"Five months... Rihoko ... does she... is she..." Yuusuke knew that it was time he brought her up to speed.

"She's okay... um going to school now. Reiji has been working for an organization called the Cranston group, an organization that acts as a kind of science think-tank for a larger organization called the IOA. I'm still doing my research on them. Masane, where have you been?" Masane was still processing this.

"Yuusuke, if I told you, you would think I was nuts." Yuusuke took a step back and with a grin looked at her and nudged her on.

"Try me... It can't be any more stranger than what we have been through together." Masane looked worried.

"Trust me, what happened before was a walk in the park compared to what I have been through."

"Okay... shoot." Masane winced as she took a deep breath and started talking. During the entire conversation the two Neo-Gene girls looked on and Yuusuke winced at the thought that the young blue and pink Neo-Gene girl wished not to have her worst moment of her life repeated before herself again.

"Ah... Crap..." Yuusuke said as Masane finished. "We get to Marry's NOW!" Nakata had no argument with that. He still had a girl to take over to the paramedics and paperwork to fill out as Aoi said goodbye to Yui and the three Witchblade girls left the scene heading to a general direction together as Yuusuke drove after them in his vintage street racing coup.

* * *

Luna landed on Hope Pizzini's loft's rooftop and walked through the garden that Hope had constructed with the other building tenants. The smell of the flowers, shrubs and small potted trees made her relax. Moving through the rooftop, Luna made her way towards the Ti Chi circle. There standing in the center of the circle stood Hope Pizzini, daughter of Witchblade Wielder Sara Pizzini, older sister to Ivy Pizzini who bore the Witchblade after her mother and the blood sister/daughter to the Witchblade. If there was a person that could make sense to the footage Mikey had sent to her, then this was the woman Luna would trust. Witchy hadn't retracted the wings, but... Luna felt it. Witchy wanted to talk too. This was a family issue and she was concerned.

"_**Sister..**_." Witchblade spoke through Luna's mouth. It always felt a little weird for Luna, but the feelings were from the heart. Luna understood as Witchy took control of her body.

"Luna..." Hope spoke breaking from her exercise. "I heard about the footage."

"_Sister... It is I Witchblade..._" Luna let the scene play on.

"Witchblade... Are you using Luna's body to..." Hope walked forward to touch the organic metal that made up Witchbade's form.

"Speak to you, yes... Luna is kind of letting me use her body to speak to you Hope." Witchblade bit Luna's lip. Then Luna shook her head and came forth to speak.

"Miss Pizzini..." Luna panted through her breath. "Listen..." Luna swallowed before speaking. "Witchy told me that the Witchblade was split into two..." There was a pause with Luna. "Tell me is Witchy half of it and where did the other half of her go?" Luna and Witchy watched as Hope walked over to a small bench by the circle and sit down.

"Witchy... as you call your fragment of the Witchblade, belonged to my mother and later my sister... and is half of the blade." Witchy formed tighter around Luna fearing that she would be forced of the young bearer's body. "The other half wound up on a young ballerina named Danielle Baptiste, now she made many mistakes like many young bearers such as yourself have made, but she learned to use it quite well. That was before last I heard it traveled to Asia." Luna relaxed to this before getting worried again.

"Could the Witchblade split again, I mean into more segments or..." Luna felt worried. Hope walked up to the young girl and her hand changed.

"Luna... I am half Witchblade..." Witchy reached out Luna's hand and rubbed the human/metal flesh of her sister's hand. "The blade does not fully split, but it can reproduce." Luna felt worried.

"Then..." Luna reached into her purse and pulled out her Smartphone and called up the data Michael had sent her. "Which one of these women is the mother and which are the children?" Hope took a look at the screen.

"Sister... what did you do?" Hope looked disappointed at the image of the three Witchblades on the screen. Luna and Witchy felt worried. "Looks like I have a few phone calls to make and a couple of plane tickets to order." As Hope walked over to her purse and pulled out her own phone and placed a call.

"Master Sifu... It's Hope..." There was a pause. "You know..." Another pause as the conversation continued over the phone, Luna and Witchy only occasionally hearing bits and pieces of what was being spoken. Witchy tapped Luna's mind and talked within.

_**I'm scared... this is family and...**_

_**You're worried that your other half went and had a few kids and you didn't know that you are an aunt now.**_** Luna grinned at this. **

_**No, it's not that... I'm afraid that they will turn out like Excalibur did.**_

_**Who's Excalibur?**_

_**Ah, crap, I forgot to tell you about him.**_

_**So Who's Excalibur?**_

_**I really don't want to see what you head for breakfast again, once is good enough for me.**_

_**Who's Excalibur?**_

_**Head inside with Hope and I'll tell you, just do me a favor.**_

_**What?**_

_**Be plastered when I tell you. **_

_**That bad?**_

_**Worse... **_

"Okay... I get the point..." Luna said aloud.

* * *

Alexa Nizuna was running for her life. All she wanted was to be left alone. Hitting the ground and running on all fours in a modified Witchblade form that looked like a giant wolf, as she tried to get some distance from her pursuers. An hour ago she was enjoying a nice soak in the nude at a hot springs resort she had gotten a job at. She didn't mind running clean up on the stalls and mopping the floors, but since she had escaped from the NWSF research facility having a busy life was better than being strapped down and poked and prodded by scientists. That was when she used a tendril and lashed onto a tree and went vertical to see what her pursuers looked like as she hung above near the treetops. She was getting cold and she was still soaking wet but forced her jaw shut with the Clone blade to prevent her from being heard, well the chattering of her teeth as she watched the troops move in below.

"Subject WB-52 has been on the run sir." A Soldier said into his helmet. Several soldiers gathered around as they started to bring up scanners looking for heat signatures. Alexa listened in on the conversation as she clung to the tree.

"Sir..." The soldier looked frustrated at what was being said. "I know..." There was a long pause as the tone of the soldier changed as he started to look around the tree line. "Admiral... I know that you know about the Witchblade and even knew one of the previous hosts to that thing but..." The soldier was cut off by the conversation on his headset. "What want us to WHAT?" The yell got everyone's attention. Then the soldier gritted his teeth. "Understood sir..." With that the soldier waved his hand and yelled. "Everyone, fall back to the checkpoint." Another solider came forward.

"Are you sure? I can track the location of the girl..." the other soldier said as he walked up to his superior.

"Yes... We are under orders to fall back." The superior said as he looked around. "The Admiral is the resident expert on the Witchblade ever since he took over from the Okinawa incident and before he worked as liaison for Division 42."

"Yeah and we are chasing a naked girl with a dangerous bio-weapon strapped to her body through the forest."

"Well I don't like it but he is the expert on these weapons." The Superior said as he gathered his men together. "Everyone back to camp." With the several soldiers stopped searching and started to march out of the area. Alexa didn't know what was up but, as she got a closer look at the uniforms as the soldiers started to move out, she noticed the Red, White and Blue of the American flag on their sleeves followed by a unit badge IOA. Americans... Why would the Americans be so interested in her... or... Wait... previous bearers? The information started to click in. They weren't after her, they were after... the Original Witchblade and they thought she was... She needed to find out why they were after her and her sisters and she used that term loosely for what they had done to her. Staying in the tree, she fully armored herself head to toe in a more traditional humanoid Gold and Silver armor and started to swing tree to tree after the Soldiers from a safe distance to find out what they wanted from her.

* * *

Zolton David sat in his workshop underneath GOOB2 Electronics. Now this was not so much as a workshop as more like a Man-Cave on steroids, mixed in with an Underwriters Laboratory, a dash of a Military Surplus store, an Antiques Road Show pavilion stocked with the estate sale of Desmond Llewelyn's Q-Branch gadgets thrown in with Lucius Fox's Wayne Enterprises "Basement" division, combined with a Garage sale of all of Tony Stark's Bachelor pads. Essentially it was a one-stop-shop for anything a spy, superhero, or covert government agency would need in stopping the forces of evil. For the time being Zolton was scanning every video feel that Michael had sent him on the individuals that match Luna's powers. Given the amount of computing power he was throwing at all the footage he was in the process of rendering the faces of the three women to get their identities through the facial recognition software he had. He knew that it was going to take awhile so he decided to have a video conference with a friend of his that he had met during Spring Break in Florida. Kat Neuanevwong.

As the computers crunched the Petaflops of information flowing through them, they started to form a set of composite images by stripping away the "face paint" from the faces presented them. Zolton watched as Kat came onto the chat screen. Her dark skin Thai Asian features shown on the screen as she lounged in front of the computer screen. This time she was clothed in a white sleeveless t-shirt and white shorts. A far cry from the girl he had found walking in the nude on the streets of Miami while he was bar hopping his first night during Spring Break. Given that Zolton wasn't into alcohol as his drink of choice, he was more into fruit juice and soda, so being very sober and seeing this girl in distress and soaked to the bone. Well he had to be a gentleman to a damsel in distress. He had reached into the trunk of his car and wrapped her in a beach blanket and gotten her dry in his car. Zolton was about to call the police, but Kat had stopped him as she broke down and started to cry in his backseat. Getting into his backseat and softly rubbing her shoulder she had spilled her guts. Her name was Kat, she was a Lesbian, and she had gone through a breakup with her life partner Brooke. And she was walking the streets naked not wanting to have anything on her that her lover had bought for her. That last part took a can of instant heat hot Coco and a cup instant heat of chicken noodle soup to get that information out of her.

Zoltan spent most of the raining night with her keeping her warm and holding her. For the next two weeks he had taken of his Spring Break he had gotten her back on her feet. Between letting her sleep for a day or so in his hotel room bed, he had become her friend. With the lending of a pair of his grey sweat shorts and a black t-shirt from his parents business _Da'Zohon_, the two of them went shopping for clothes for her before they went back to her place to see the damage and cleaned house. The computer showed the processing rate as the system moved from image completion to searching the Tokyo traffic flow archives of the urban areas.

"Hi there Zolton..." Kat grinned with that cute toothy grin her mouth had.

"Hey Kat... So how is Miami?" Zolton tapped on his on hand keyboard "frog pad" to switch the image over to the Plexiglas "float" screen he had set up around the monitors so that a three-dimensional image floated in the box before him.

"Good, but the weather has been a little shifty due to start of Hurricane season in the next few weeks." Kat said as she pulled one leg up on the chair she was sitting on. "The weather service has had me updating the buoy data and trackers on their computer systems."

"That's good, so how are things working out with..." Zolton waited for the response.

"May..." There was a deep reddish blush to Kat's cheeks. "Well, we are thinking about going to the next phase of our relationship."

"So, when is the unofficial wedding?" Zolton spoke as Kat jumped back.

"Wedding?" Kat held up her hand before the monitor. "I mean, I should be thinking about that now, but... I was meaning meeting our folks." Kat exhaled looking off the screen. "Wow..." Kat blinked a few times as she shook her head.

"Sorry, I was thinking that you were further along in your relationship." Zolton apologized. The computer crunched more as images started to show up on the surrounding projector screens.

"Yeah..." Kat was caught off guard by Zolton's words. "I mean it has been a while since..."

"Since your break-up, the late night walk in the nude," Kat finished the sentence.

"Meeting you, crying my eyes out, and sleeping in your bed."

"Getting cleaned up; going to your place and mailing your former lover's stuff to her new place COD." Kat grinned at this.

"Yeah... it felt clean getting rid of her stuff." Kat commented as she stretched out.

"Minus setting her stuff on fire, which given the permits you would have needed."

"Yeah..." Kat leaned forward. "I got a new closet of clothes out of the deal." Zolton grinned at this.

"And you showed them off I might add..." Kat winked at him as she giggled.

"Yeah... That and you didn't try to hit on me. I thought you were gay for nearly a week after I trotted around house in nothing but a grin."

"Hey, I noticed, but I make it a rule not to take advantage of a woman after she had been dumped by her lover." Zolton watched the computers start to pull various images up, Busty Blue and Petite Pink only showed up a few times during the Tokyo Tower disappearance date with an unknown forth Witchblade with super long blond twin pigtails. But the one that presented herself as the leader according to news reports seemed to have two forms: A Red and Black form, and a White and Red form. The computer Crunched more as the months of image data was sorted through for this face as the dates started to roll back by weeks and months. The computer started to track patterns and locations and place them onto a map grid.

"Yes... I even tried to; well considering it was my first time with a guy. I tried to have sex with you." Zolton blushed.

"Yes, and I stopped you." Zolton felt her relax at this. "Talked some sense into you."

"While picking me up and dropping me into my swimming pool when I failed to listen to you."

"Yeah... I swore that you must have called me things in Thai that would have made a Klingon wince." Kat chuckled at this. That was when the computer got a hit on Red and Black's face as well as a license plate on Blue/Pink and Black and Blue's car. "Oh My God..." Zolton said aloud as he started a trace on the license place through his connections through the IOA database. Kat shifted her leg down and moved forward to her camera at this exclamation.

"What is it?" Kat said as her native Thai accent started to bleed through her American words.

"I just got a lead on my friend's data..." Zolton started pound wildly at the one-hand keyboard as with his free hand started to wave through the projected track panel in front of him to zoom in on the image. A company logo showed up as another display pulled up images of the busty Witchblade and a police record showed up along next to the stripped human form.

Masane Amaha aka: Mamiko Noto

Age: 23

Place of Residence: Tokyo, Japan

Employment History: Personal Assistant/Secretary Douji Group Industries

Known Family:

Parents: Deceased,

Adopted Daughter: Rihoko Amaha, age 7 (See file: AMAHA, Rihoko)

Boyfriend: Reiji Takayama, age 34 (See file: TAKAYAMA, Reiji)

Known Associates:

Yuusuke Tozawa, age 26 (See file: TOZAWA, Yuusuke)

The police file looked long and in-depth and in Japanese so Zolton saved the file and ran it through the Hoshi translator program to look over later.

Then the license plate data came up on the screen for the other Witchblades; NSWF (National Scientific Welfare Foundation). That was when his system flagged

_**LEVEL NINE SECURITY CLERANCE NEEDED TO PROCCED: **_

_**PLEASE CONTACT YOUR IOA SUPERVISOR IMMEDATELY**_

"Whoa..." Zoltan spoke amazed as that glowing moniker that flashed across his screen.

"What is it?" Kat said from her little slice of cyberspace.

"Well my friend Luna is going to have an interesting time looking at the file I just found." Zolton exhaled as he started to process on more information as the map started to coordinate the locations of Masane's movements. Then an address showed up of a place called Marry's.

"I hope that it is good news?" Kat said switching back to her Americanized dialect.

"Well other than needing to call in some help in reading this stuff, I say that I just hit the mother load."

"Well as long as you don't have any satellite imagery of anyone on a nude beach that you have done while digging this stuff up."

"Trust me; Cougar has me get that information for her every year on a particular beach in France."

"France?" Kat said quizzically.

"Trust me; rent a copy of Euro Trip and you will know what I am getting satellite imagery of."

"Okay, I haven't seen that film, but I'll check it out." Kat said as turned around to see her lover come in. "Hi May..." Kat waved towards her lover.

"Listen, I have a ton of data to sort through here. It's nice to know that you are doing well." Kat grinned as waved good bye.

"Well bye..." Kat said as the image went dead as May moved in and kissed her on the forehead. Zolton shook his head wishing that the feed had only lasted three point four seconds longer. At least he could have seen a Spider-man kiss between those two girls. But he had other things on his mind.

"Well I have a ton of data to process for Luna before she shows up. Might as well call her." With that Zolton got out of his chair and walked over to his hard-line phone and placed a call to Luna.

* * *

Next: Marry's Place

Please place a comment or review below.

For those of you who have been reading this story and kept up with it, I commend you.

I have put a few Easter Eggs in this chapter for all of you who are sharp enough to see them.

Here are some tips of what they are:

Adam Sandler film

Star Trek

NCIS

Oceans 13

Avatar: The Last Airbender

Sex and the City

American Pie 2

Please PM me when you find them. You will have an idea of my sense of humor. I might base a character off of you for the Cadre.

A Huge thanks goes out to Spartan and Luna for giving me ideas for plotlines and characters. I hope that this satisfies your taste buds.

Also be warned of the geyser of blood to come in the next chapter. (For those who have watched the Anime, know who I am talking about).

**To be continued...**


	8. Chapter 8

After rereading the last few chapters, I found an error pertaining to the police detective's name, his name isn't Cho, but it is Nakata. I have made the corrections in the previous chapters to correct this discrepancy. Well Mr. Cho will be appearing in this chapter so the fix was to make things flow better for the audience and make character development and arcs flow better.

Additionally this is an extra long chapter. Nothing personal, just a ton of character development this chapter, while explaining the adventures and agendas of the IOA.

* * *

Chapter 8: Marry's Place and Home Turf

* * *

Masane stood underneath the shower head as the water flowed like rivers over her naked body. Every joint of her body ached as Masane stretched with her wash rag and slapped it across her back to clean it. The soap soaked rag scrapped across bare flesh like a rolled tail from some unearthly creature spreading its cleansing foam in its wake. Masane bit her lip. The hour long "jog", well more technically it was a lemur run made her heart race as she got near the neighborhood she lived in. Asagi seemed to understand that despite all that had happened Masane was more concerned about finding out about what had happened to her family. But during the entire trip here to Marry's, Asagi seemed talkative as Aoi became more and more uncertain. Then it broke. "Father is dead... I was there when Maria killed him." Asagi and Masane had nearly crashed into a wall when she said that. Aoi looked like she was on the verge of breaking down as Asagi came near here. The young Clone blade had fallen to her knees when Asagi responded with the question.

"Father is dead?" Masane just intervened and stopped Asagi in her path as Aoi just spilled her guts... This was the first time Masane had seen Asagi show any kind of emotion. Even the Ice Princess could melt and show emotion. That was over... Masane leaned her head out of the shower to see the small Analog clock that sat on the Sink countertop and show the time, half hour ago. That was when Marry came into the bathroom with some towels and a box of Masane's stuff.

"So Masane..." Masane's chunky well experienced landlord spoke up as she pulled out an extra large t-shirt and one of Masane's black sport-bras. "How is the shower?" Masane rinsed her body off, working the soap out of her massive cleavage.

"Feels good to be clean..." Masane said as she reached and turned the water off before grabbing a towel from Marry and patting herself dry inside the shower.

"Well considering what that Asagi girl said..." Marry watched as Masane came out of the shower with the towel wrapped around her. "You, went to Hell, got dumped in Tokyo bay, went for a several mile swim in the nude, was in a police boat chase, and got vomited on by a young girl." Masane's shoulders went down and she sagged her head at this. "But considering you came back from the dead and look great." Masane's towel came loose and she rushed to grab it flashing Marry for a moment. Marry gave a sly grin at her as Masane felt that holding the towel in front of her would give her some privacy. "Don't worry; I have the old pervert doing errands." Masane looked at Marry. "Ever since you... well your reported death." Marry looked as she helped Masane wrap the towel back around herself and tuck in the ends so the towel wouldn't decide to take a walk again. Masane listened to Marry talk about Mr. Cho as she felt the effects of her disappearance had on those around her. "Every time Cho sees a pair of juggs, he is on the verge of an emotional breakdown." Masane blinked a few times at this.

"How bad?" Masane realized that Cho must have liked her as a friend, well that and her breasts.

"He broke down watching a porno called Mega-Milk Maids Five on his laptop and was crying your name out when I found him in a fetal position on the floor." Marry looked at Masane and hugged her. "I keep expecting that you are a ghost." With that Masane pinched Marry and she jumped back with shock.

"I'm real Marry." Masane grinned but realized that she was naked again as she looked down. "Crap..." Masane hung her head. "I really need to get dressed." Then there was a knock on the door. It was Asagi.

"Are you done or are you?" Masane nodded as she reached into a box and slipped on a pair of underwear and pulling on a t-shirt.

"Just a second." Masane spoke up as Asagi came into the room and pulled her robe open.

"Well, I am washing up." Masane and Marry watched as Asagi right before them hug the robe up and beach towel over the hook and marched right past the two of them completely nude and not caring if they saw her naked body or not. It took the two of them a moment to react, but Asagi had the water on and was washing up already as she slid the door to the shower shut.

"That girl needs to work on her social skills." Marry said as she and Masane left the room leaving the box on the sink.

"Considering where she came from..." Masane closed the door behind them. "...I think this is normal for her." Marry just nodded to her.

"Well I hope that the little one, Aoi is a bit better." Marry spoke softly.

"I think she is still dealing with the revelation that most of her life is a lie." Marry nodded.

"Well I hope that Naomi is having some luck with her?" Masane walked a few spaces as she held her old sports- bra in her hand with a pair of jeans. "Well might as well finish getting dressed." Marry guided her to her old apartment that had not been rented out since her disappearance.

* * *

Naomi was sitting across the table from Aoi. It was strange seeing the girl in her Witchblade form. The girl hadn't dropped her armor even after she had snagged one of Naomi's extra large sweat shirts while waiting to take her shower. The game of Dominos they were playing had broken some of the tension, but like Naomi, Aoi seemed shyer than she was. Another domino was placed down by Naomi as she watched the expanding pattern form on the table.

"So..." Naomi spoke softly moving her dominos around before her. "What does it feel like?" Aoi looking down with her hands in her lap bit her lip and looked away.

"Wha.. What feels like what?" Aoi avoided her eye contact.

"Um... you know..." Naomi tried not to point to Aoi. "The..." Naomi looked away embarrassed.

"My armor?" Aoi said in a squeak. Naomi nodded in response as Aoi looked at her armored hand. Naomi watched as Aoi slowly traced the edge of her claws with her fingers, well the parts that were not encased inside of the large razor-sharp blades. Aoi made a fist with her hand and studied how the claws retracted before they reached her palm. Opening and closing her hand several times, Aoi observed how the claws behaved and Naomi watched how her hand moved inside the armor.

"Is the armor... like attached to your skin..." Naomi reached out slowly and touched Aoi's hand. Aoi's mind was racing... She bit her lip and closed her eyes... Releasing the armor from one of her hands so bare flesh just remained, Aoi touched her clawed hand. Flexing her fingers she took note of how it felt the texture, the claws... Naomi just stood there with her jaw on the floor as she moved over and touched Aoi's naked hand then the armored one... She was speechless. "It acts like it is alive?" Naomi liked her lips to keep her mouth from going dry and trying to swallow some of her nervousness down. Aoi bit her lip a bit scared. Feeling the moment get awkward both girls retracted their hands and hid them underneath the table and in their laps...

"Soo..." Aoi looked away embarrassed and tried to find something of interest out the window. "um... some weather we are having." Naomi nodded in response.

"Yeah... great beach weather. Just wished that I had the figure that boys liked?" Naomi spoke a little ashamed.

"Well, I had a relationship... My ..." Aoi was embarrassed and little ashamed at what she wanted to say next. "Friend... liked my breast size... I mean I didn't have a major bust... I mean I tried on a few clothes that were a bit bigger than I could fit into, but... My friend liked the fact that I had small boobs... I mean you just need a handful to." Aoi shifted a bit... "Well you know for them to play with..." Naomi was a bit embarrassed at this being said to her. "I mean... having something to keep them occupied as they play with your nipples..." Aoi realized that she had given way too much information with that. "So..." a long shift in the chair followed. "Your Masane's friend?" Aoi adjusted the sweat shirt waiting to see how Naomi would respond.

"Yeah... I'm her friend..." Naomi spoke slowly as she quickly moved another domino into place. "I use to tell fortunes... I just stopped because of some of the bad tellings I was getting about Masane." Naomi adjusted her black dress.

"Oh, so you lied to her about the future?" Aoi couldn't have been more subtle if she had used as sledgehammer. Naomi changed the subject.

"So..." Naomi cleared her throat before continuing. "This friend that you were seeing, how did it turn out?" Aoi shifted at this.

"My friend changed from the way they were... Became distant... Dark. Even dyed their hair and completely changed wardrobe." Aoi bit her lip and slowly broke down. "It was if that person had died..." With that Aoi screamed. "I would have died for them... But..." Aoi broke down and started crying... "I was used as a means... to get what they wanted..." Naomi got up and moved over to her to calm her down. Slowly patting Aoi's back she spoke softly.

"I'm... I'm sorry that I dug up some bad memories..." Aoi wiped as few tears from her eyes and dove into Naomi's chest. Naomi watched as Aoi's armor retracted away from her skin. The girl was dropping her defenses.

"Maria... Why did you use me? I loved you..." Aoi moaned as waves of emotion worked their way out of the girl's psyche. "I wanted to be loved. I wanted to sleep with you." Naomi felt Aoi cling to her as more armor dropped, both physically and mentally. Naomi wondered what it was like to lose someone you loved and learned that they were just using you, heck in the past thirty seconds she had just learned this girl was a lesbian. Naomi felt Aoi moved up and show very blood shot eyes. Then... Naomi was fighting to breath. Aoi was kissing her and not letting her go... then Aoi released her and pulled the sweatshirt off and revealing her completely naked body as she threw it to the floor. Naomi fell backwards in shock.

"Aoi..." Naomi raised her hands up to censor Aoi's naked form. "It's me Naomi..." Then Aoi snapped back to normal and realized that Naomi was not this Maria person.

"Oh... Crap..." Aoi got orientated with where she was at... "OH... SHIT!" Aoi rushed over to help Naomi up off of the floor. "Naomi... Sorry... I am truly sorry about... Oh, darn... did I do..." Aoi swallowed as she started pulling on Naomi to get her up. "I apologize... I mean..." Aoi was freaking out as the realization hit her as what she had done... Naomi was pulled to her feet and looked at the now naked Aoi.

"Um... did Maria kind of look like me?" Aoi nodded. "Okay... Teenaged lesbian girl getting over a bad relationship." Naomi inhaled deeply through her nose before exhaling it through her puckered lips as a narrow stream. Aoi looked nervous. "Boy... I thought I had problems, but yours take the preferable cake... I mean I want to meet that right person, but..." Naomi looked at now exposed emotionally Aoi was. "Aoi..." Naomi patted Aoi on the shoulder as they stood in the middle of the room. "It may feel like the end of the world to you, but it isn't. I mean... You are still a kid, you will have more relationships. Some bad, some good. And some... Well..." Naomi grinned. "Will ask you to just be friends..." Naomi nudged Aoi on the chin as she grinned. "Well you got the first bad one out of the way... Hopefully you might have a better one in the future." Naomi did a side hug to Aoi. That was when the Air Conditioner came on in the room and Aoi felt the draft across her naked back side. Aoi gave an awkward look at Naomi.

"Um... during the entire me thinking you were Maria... did I..." Aoi closed her eyes as she pretended to look down and gritting her teeth realizing what she had done. Naomi exhaled and rolled her eyes and nodded at Aoi. Aoi winced and gritted her teeth. "So, the..." Naomi pointed to where the sweatshirt laid on the floor.

"The um... pants... are over the back of the chair." Naomi turned to give Aoi some privacy.

"Yeah..." Aoi padded over to the shirt and over to the table. "So... Some weather we are having... Do you think that American Baseball player that got traded to the Nippon Baseball League will improve the Tokyo Swallows' odds of going to the World Series?" Naomi added baseball to the list of things that Aoi liked.

"Yeah... a regular Mr. Baseball." Naomi said wishing that her knowledge of vintage Tom Selleck films wasn't as extensive as it was. How much longer until Masane and Aoi were done with their showers? Naomi thought as she let her shoulders sag down as she turned around to see Aoi dressed in the sweats. After this they really needed to go shopping.

* * *

IOA Director Sam Sheppard was pissed, boy he was pissed and heading to that point that the stream of urine being shot out would have been having the equivalent force of a piece of steel rebar penetrating the wall of Fort Knox.

Looking over the various smart-paper screens before him showed the status of the various Cloned Witchblades that were stored in Division 42's warehouse. The IOA had to deal with super powered individuals all the time, some human, some alien, some magical. The Witchblade fell into all four. Shit... Between the fact some Asshole with a Oedipus/Incest complex had copied this nightmare of a weapon, he and all the branches of the IOA were now tracking down and doing clean up. Fuck... This was worse than the mess Admiral Maylander had left with the entire Alien Black/Blue mess a few decades earlier the IOA was still cleaning up.

The Blue and the Black had pretty much settled their differences for the time being, but keeping some Navy Brass somewhere from blasting one of their ships or attacking some colony that would require IOA intervention. He still remembered what he saw when he was captured a long time ago. Women and Children. Most unarmed, and a young kid on the verge of wetting himself as his helmet was knocked off when he had bumped into the kid. Shit, they were refugees from another star system who just wanted a home, someplace quiet to live in peace. They just picked a part of the planet where Humans just would leave them alone and couldn't get to till the twentieth century. Mostly, he agreed with them. That was when he looked over the data of the I-Weapon romp across the ocean floor.

Another mess with the Blue to deal with. These fucking automated weapons had taken a drive right pass one of the Blue colonies. They probably thought they had sent these things to start a war with them… Again…

Another Freaking mess to deal with.

That was when he leaned back in his chair of his mobile outpost. When it rained, it poured. Fuck... this was a Freaking Hurricane Katrina sized mess on his table. That was when he saw his men come back to the base camp. For some of his men under his command, having them follow some orders was like pulling teeth.

"Sir..." A female aid said as she moved forward Sheppard studied her appearance, her body form. He looked down at the physical stats of the Witchblade girl then at his aid. "The team is on its way back..." Slowly taking a look at his aid and said her name.

"Ensign Miller..." Sheppard spoke slowly coming up with a plan to see if he could get the Witchblade girl into camp without any bloodshed and get a feeling of getting another recruit into IOA's superhuman program. "Did you bring your civilian clothes with you? I believe I have a plan." With that he called several personnel in the mobile command center together and spoke his plan which in moments was implemented.

* * *

Alexa noticed that the base camp these men were heading back to seem to be constructed out of several tractor trailers linked by ramps. The entire place seemed to be set up to move at the drop of a hat and disappear. One of the Trailers said: _Toys R Fun_ another said: _nTech Sports_, while another said on its side: _Mega-lo Mart_. Whoever these people were, the trucks looked like their brand name counterparts so if anyone saw them the trucks would disappear. Alexa looked around the camp knowing that she would be made out if she walked in wearing her armor, she needed. Then she saw it. Clothes. Someone had left a duffle bag of clothes in the back of a black sports utility vehicle. Using her Tentacles to reach out and grab it, she pulled it back into the over growth of trees around the base camp.

Opening the duffle bag, the folded neatly forest brown and green military uniform that looked to be American in design given all the small digital squares that patterned the cloth. Alexa found an off green t-shirt inside and some boots. Probably someone had planned to change into this at the camp, and probably hadn't been able to given all the activity going on. The uniform would probably be missed if anyone came looking for it. So Alexa only had a short period of time to find out what was going on. That was when she felt something small and rectangular inside. Tampons... Well at least she had grabbed a uniform belonging to a woman.

Getting dressed was easily, well easy if you are pulling on a pair of pants when you forgot to put on your underwear... Alexa kept her Witchblade armor covering her exposed bottom to prevent from feeling like some skanky exhibitionist. Pulling the rest of the clothes on went easy, but finally having something covering her boobs that wasn't living battle armor felt great. Padding around the bag she found a hair scrunchy and pulled her hair into a pony-tail as she buttoned up the jacket and slipped on her boots. Using her blade hand to form an extended reflective sword, Alexa checked out how she looked. She looked like she might pass; now all she hoped was that her American English was passable.

* * *

Walking into the camp from the woods didn't seem out of the ordinary... Most of the personnel just avoided her, it was like being invisible. That was when someone called out in her direction.

"Ensign..." A young man called out from the back of a truck. Alexa looked around to see who the man was calling to, then realized that he was calling to her... Alexa winced and pointed her hand to herself. "Yeah... you... Can you give me a hand?" The man was loading something into the back of a truck. Alexa moved over and moved over beside him and took the edge of the container in her hands and walked it into the truck.

"So... some operation." Alexa said in Americanized English.

"Yeah..." The young man said as they moved the box into place. "Sent into the field to do a mop up operation, and we don't even find the target." He sighed. "So... First field Assignment?" Alexa nodded. "Yeah, ever since that entire mess in Tokyo a few months back, it is track this, find that, crap... Hostile... shoot..." Alexa looked worried and swallowed and took a step back. "Hey... My name is Tyson..." the young man offered his hand to her to shake. Alexa took it nervously.

"Alexa..." She grinned.

"Well Alexa..." Tyson said grinning back at her. "If you help me load this stuff back into this truck. I can see if we can trade phone numbers." The guy was actually hitting on her.

"Are you hitting on me?" Alexa said trying to distance herself.

"No... Just that... Alexa... I have had this thing for mixed heritage girls. I grew up in a foster home with children of mixed ethnic backgrounds, so... I sort of understand what it is like to be a child of two ethnic backgrounds." There was a pause. "I'm Half Italian and Russian." He grinned. Alexa blinked...

"Oh..." Alexa moved to pick up another box. "So..." Alexa was caught a little off guard by this.

"The Phone number thing is my way talking with folks and getting my co-workers to have me on a contact list..." Tyson said as he looked into her brown eyes. "What... you thought I was trying to score with you." Alexa nodded.

"Yeah..." The flexed her eyebrows partially disappointed and somewhat curious about this guy.

"Alexa... here is a thing I don't date co-workers, I have a girl back home and she is Creole. And considering that you're mixed like her, I was thinking of having you and her talk..." Alexa didn't know where he was going. Then Tyson made it clear. "She wants me to set her brother up on a blind date; he has a thing for Asian girls." Tyson shrugged.

"Oh..." Alexa realized that he was trying to play wingman to a guy whose sister he was in love with. "OH..." Alexa slapped her palm to her forehead.

"Yeah... so... to make a long story short... I am trying to score with her, but she want to make sure that her brother is out of our hair so we can do the dirty deed. Finally..."

"So, pretty much you want me to distract him and keep him occupied... so you can..."

"Yes, with his sister." Tyson said with relief. Alexa exhaled realizing that she needed to get somewhere near the command tent and away from this guy. Then a senior officer called out to them.

"Ensigns... The Admiral needs to speak with the several of the junior staff." The Lieutenant Commander called out from the side of the linked trucks. Alexa knew that she was going to get in to the tent, but what if they recognized the name tag on the jacket she was wearing. Noticing that several personnel were moving to the main tent that was hanging, she decided to chance it. As she moved into the command tent she noticed that there were several computer monitors set up on posts as a woman in civilian garb started to scan the crowd before walking up to the person in charge. Alexa didn't like the feeling of this as the woman accepted took several sheets of paper from a note pad and handed it to the man. After studying the sheets of paper he started to look at the names on the jackets.

"Okay, I need to ask the following personnel that I will be tapping on the shoulder to come into the command center. I will not be giving names for security reasons given that the subject may have enhanced hearing." With everyone at attention the Admiral moved among the young ranking personnel and tapped each on the shoulder. One of them was Alexa. She winced as she realized that whatever was up she just got roped into it. Watching the others before her head into the transport trucks she knew that if she was found out she was screwed. That was when the Admiral moved her way again. "Ensign you had orders, now move it!" With that Alexa sprinted up the ramp and into the truck.

Once inside Alexa noticed that the layout was more of a conference room with computer monitors. The other young ranking officers were still standing awaiting orders. Then the Admiral came in.

"You all can now take a seat." The man motioned for the personnel in the room to sit.

"Now you are all wondering why I have asked you all to come in here." There was a pause. "Well I will fill you in... The subject of our pursuit is no longer a priority." Alexa felt relieved at that news but worried that the other shoe was going to drop. Then the monitor behind the Admiral lit up with several windows open. "Approximately one hundred and eighty minutes ago three new subjects appeared on the grid. Given that they have communicated with the authorities and wish to help made our job a whole lot easier in tracking them down. Now this wouldn't set off any alarms with the top brass except for some references they made about their circumstances." Another pause was made as the images switched to show the three Witchblades on the screen. Two of which Alexa knew from the Sparing room. Aoi and Asagi... The third one was an unknown factor to her other than she fought Maria around Tokyo tower before it disappeared.

"Given the details we have dug up from the survivors of the NWSF Genetic Research and Douji Group Industries, we have identified the leader as being Masane Amaha. A Secretary to one of the higher ups in Douji Group Industries." Another pause as an image of the Witchblade was shown. "We have identified her as the possessor of the Beta Witchblade. The Alpha Witchblade, as you know is currently in New York. Given the queries that her teammates have done on the system, Witchblade Alpha may in the next thirty-six hours decide to board a team here to Japan." The screen changed to show details of a girl with Purple, Red and Black armor that was very conservative in its design, nothing flashy other than some black protrusions coming out of the purple body and red arms.

"Witchblade Beta aka Masane Amaha, stated that she had an encounter with a creature of darkness and a really, really, pissed off Angel. As records state, these two creatures, given the profile information stated by Masane Amaha has been identified as the beings known as The Darkness and Angelus... Both class nine security threats." Alexa looked worried at this.

"Given that we have bigger fish to fry, what is going to happen to the Witchblade we were chasing?" One of the ensigns said as she looked over to Alexa for assurance. "Isn't she still a threat? Or have to brought in for interrogation?"

"Considering the update we just received, she is now small fry. But considering that we have found way to locate her." That was when the Admiral picked up a small tablet computer and started to read something out.

"Alexa Nizuna, Age: 19, born to a Japanese father and an American mother." There was a pause before he continued. "Parents lost in a car accident, suffered permanent paralysis from the neck down, taken into the child Welfare division of the NWSF. Later under orders of one Tatsuoki Furumizu and seconded by Rie Nishida..." Looking at the gathered information. "...moved to the research branch." Alexa started to worry. "Given the records that the Japanese government was able to locate after the raid on the NWSF facilities, she was grafted to an experimental Cloned Witchblade that restored her mobility." Then the Admiral leaned forward. "Now Alexa," Alexa knew that the gig was up. Everyone at the table looked at her and started to worry that they were going to be at the center of a serious fight. "I don't have the time to chase down your sorry little ass. I just want to make the point that you stay out of trouble and we stay out of your hair." Alexa armored up some, not so much for the physical protection, but to feel that she had a barrier between her and this individual.

"Why did you shoot at me?" Alexa said in her armored form that was clearly showing through the military uniform he had provided her with.

"That attack was against orders, and the person that fired that shot will have his ass ground down so far that a forensics team will be needed to identify if he had any ass to begin with." Alexa gulped at this.

"So how can I trust you?" Alexa said worried as he reached over to the speaker phone on the table as he spoke to her.

"I will give you a good reason why, in the form of someone you can trust." Alexa felt worried, who would she trust? With that the distance screen came up to show that he was making a video call. She wondered who he was calling, but given that she was in a corner she needed to play this by ear or she was seriously screwed... Well technically more fucked than she was. That was when the phone picked up and man standing in a kitchen covered in an apron picked up.

"Sheppard, Why the call sir?" The man spoke and everything changed.

* * *

Spartan stood in his Chicago loft cooking dinner. He liked cooking for the people he knew and inside his large loft that he shared with himself and four others he knew that his mutton and Yorkshire pudding that he was making would be a hit. Seeing the Black Sisters set the table he remembered back when he first met them during an IOA Mop-up operation. There was a group of Neo-Gene Cloned Witchblades terrorizing the local area. They had gone and decided to do the entire: Want, Take, Have approach to life that those with superpowers tended to do when they were freed from some lab. Crap... He had done the same thing back in his youth before Lieutenant Berserker of the Chicago PD put him on right path as the Red Skinned Giant of a man acted as a mentor for him and the rest of the super powered youth of the city.

He watched Kiyoh with her slowly rounded belly set a few plates on the table. He remembered the mess of his origins. James Witworth, his born human name, had these shape shifting powers, he could mold his flesh into metal, change his appearance, vary his mass much like the three girls he now lived with, or his distant cousin Hope Pizzini. But it was when he learned to "swim" through the air using the tentacles of his bonded living armor he was born with to ungulate the air around him to make him hover and later fly. Well looking through Pauline Woolsteads window at thirteen and seeing her take off her bra on the sixth floor of the apartment building she lived in... Well he did deserve the rock in the sock she threw at him. But boy did she have some nice breasts on her...

Spartan grinned at this as he watched Kiyoh's sisters doing their homework by the pool table, one High School Math the other doing College Algebra. It was a little strange sharing a place with three girls, but considering that one had a live in boyfriend now and wanted to keep her sisters close. He didn't mind. That and the fact that the IOA had him on baby-sitting duty on them as they pushed more information forward about their pasts didn't hurt either.

With that thought finished, Spartan removed the Mutton from the oven and placed it on a plate to cool. Covering it with a piece of aluminum foil he measured out some of the drippings from the pan and mixed it into the batter and hit the food processor on medium for a minute to mix. Kiyoh grinned at him, appreciating that he was cooking tonight, as she let her Witchblade wrap around her black one piece bathing suit and cling around her breasts which she had chosen due to the sensitivity of her skin from the past week. But watching her occasionally walk around in nothing but her armor while she had to deal with the heat flashes that left her sweating and wanting to stay cool for the past week, he didn't envy her one bit trying to keep her body at a normal body temp. He listened as she walked around in her flip-flop sandals started to change in tone as her Witchblade started to encase her feet. He grinned at this, as she moved over and more armor covered her body from his view from the kitchen, he knew that she was getting cold.

He remembered how she and her two younger sisters had said no to the leader of the Witchblade gang he had been following for a week. She and her two younger siblings wanted to live their lives peacefully in the Super Freak community. Settle down, exist, go to school, have a job, have a really good weekend morning of loud Saturday Sex... But the leader of the gang didn't want that, she needed Kiyoh's powers for a theft she was planning. That was when Spartan gotten involved.

Seeing things were about to go to "shit in a hand basket", he intervened and crashed the party.

He had stopped the leader from killing Kiyoh by forming himself as a living shield to protect her and her two other siblings who had said "No" from the assault of the other Witchblades. Then Spartan just, well he could best term what he experienced as being an out of body experience. He just attacked.

These creatures with similar powers as him, tried to kill him, but he just formed armor, and spikes, and spears and attacked... It was like a slow-mo scene from the Movie 300. Kiyoh and her sisters just cringed as Spartan impaled, sliced, diced, vivisected, decapitated through those who tried to make them do wrong as he defended them from the onslaught. By the end of the slaughter Kiyoh was scared witless and was armored head to toe trying to protect her unborn child. Her two sisters, the youngest was puking her guts out from the bloodshed while the middle one looked at him and saw that he was like them and wondered if they were created by the same individuals. Realizing what he had done in front of them, they were scared, fearing that they would be next they were pissing themselves where they stood. The middle sister who had built up some nerve slowly walked over and tapped him on the shoulder a bit nervous realizing that this man/thing had saved them as she stepped over the puddles and claws of their former comrades.

Turning around seeing who was tapping him, he retracted his armor. Heck, when he was a baby. There were times where during the time he was about three or four maybe older; he had gone swimming with a family relative, Christine, at her family's pool. It was when they both were young enough that going swimming clothing optional was okay. It was also the first time that he had wrapped his armor around his naked body to make him swim faster. Christine watched as the material flowed out of his skin, she touched it a bit scared. But realizing that he could place it around his skin, he just formed a spine on his back. Nothing pointy, but plated. She flexed her naked body a few times trying to make her body do the same thing, but it didn't and wondered why she couldn't do the same thing? The look on Kiyoh's sister was the same way. Scared, but curious. Given how her armor was on her, was much like his he wondered if like here, they were part of the same species. Well that was until he learned his origins during the IOA debrief after the police showed up.

Explaining the Bloodbath... well that took time, but considering that he was affiliated with an international intelligence and investigation group, and the amount of damage this gang had done in the past, they cut him a little slack. During the debrief was he learned that he was created off of a cloned Witchblade human hybrid and a bit of Darkness bio-matter tweaked in to deal with anything Level five or above as a security threat. The idea that he was created as a weapon made him angry until he learned that the organization he worked for now put a stop to that and was helping others like himself have normal lives. In essence he was doing the same thing for these girls as was done for him. Having a life. Then he understood they needed a guide to habituate to society and he, due to fate was chosen to fill that role.

Watching the girls sit in the room. Kiyoh was expressing some of the skin proteins affiliated with her pregnancy, that head of blond hair, those heavy curves that gave her a motherly appearance in plain clothes, or a woman that given a pair of biking shorts and a short sports bra tank top, well... he'd seen Kiyoh jog, no wonder that her boyfriend and her conceived a child during a daylong marathon of crazy Saturday sex. He would have humped her too given that body. With that he watched as Kiyoh bent down to pick up a piece of lent off of the floor. Her breasts had gone up subtlety given her pregnancy as a wet spot formed on one of her breasts showing that she needed to "drain the twins" soon. He didn't know all that much about pregnancy, but early lactation wasn't something he expected that women went through; maybe it was something that Witchblades just did. It was going to be a long few months till she gave birth.

Kiyoh's middle sister, the one that had touched his shoulder, Kinon. She was keeping her head level. Processing information, watching the officers, then when he walked into the interrogation room. A bit scared and concerned. The first question out of her mouth and her sisters was. "What are you?" That was partially said with a gulp.

Calming their fears took some time, going full armor and explaining his origins, including the stuff that he recently found out about from his supervisors in the IOA. They were in the area between freaked and calmed down that there was a creature out there like them. Between two boxes of doughnuts and several cups of hot tea, coco, and black coffee he had fished some information out of the girls. They were refugees out of some sort of lab experiment program in Japan.

When the word "Witchblade" had came up... Well that was when the brass had gotten involved. Between the three girls who didn't want to fight, they either wanted to go into law enforcement/college or high school, have a baby... or two... For the most part that band of Witchblades that he had stopped... That was mildly putting it, were looking for any sisters to rage a campaign of power trip fun on any goal they felt going after. Mostly money and power. Something these three girls didn't want. They just wanted peace and quiet.

That was several months ago... IOA had debriefed them learned that the girls were not a security threat... Hell, they turned states evidence to protect their asses and stay together. For the most part they had been placed on call to deal with the list of Cloneblades that were not deemed as security risks that the mobile IOA teams had started finding in the field. How many girls were out there scared, worried, and were walking time bombs capable of wiping out a city or two?

That was when he kicked his head back to reality. He turned to the clock and saw that he had left the blender run for too long and switched it off and moved the batter to the drippings pan and close the door to the oven so the bread would bake up in twenty minutes. Then his computer on the kitchen counter started to beep.

Wiping his hands clean on a cloth, Spartan hit an icon on the touch sensitive screen and a secured link was established with the IOA. On the Screen was Field Director, Admiral Sheppard. The computer showed a considerable time difference from the early morning local time to the evening of the local time.

"Sheppard... Why the call Sir..." Spartan said watching the man's body language on the screen.

"Spartan... Listen I know it is supper time around where you are at, but I need to talk to one of the Witchblade girls in your care." Spartan was taken aback by this.

"Okay..." unsure... Spartan motioned over to Kiyoh. "Kiyoh... It's Director Sheppard on the line and he want to speak with you." Kiyoh walked over to the computer terminal and stood before the computer terminal. Then the Director moved off screen and a blond Asian girl was viewed on the screen with her Witchblade lines on her face clearly in view.

"Are you a Clone blade?" The blond Asian spoke slowly fearing that this might be a trap. Kiyoh held her hand up and formed her hand into a claw.

"Sister... you can trust me..." There was a pause before she continued... "We were betrayed by a fellow sister, Maria..." Another pause... "Father is dead... So is his dream... We are free to find our mothers." With that the Asian girl collapsed down as the motion tracking camera bent down tracking her movements as the realization came across her face that this was a person that she could trust. Listening off to the side, he noticed that having someone talk to who had been through the same hell as you allowed for some bridges to be built and make sense of the situations they all had found themselves in.

Conversation number fifteen down. That was when Spartan moved to see how long it would take for the pudding to cook. Boy he needed to start watching some more cooking shows. Maybe Mexican for dinner tomorrow night.

* * *

TBC

* * *

Let me know what you all think of this chapter?

Let me know what you all think of this chapter?

I know it was longer than expected but I had a tone of information to give you. Next chapter will have more up to speed stuff in it.

Well what will Alexa do now?

What will happen when Rihoko meets Masane?

What has Reiji been up to since Masane's death?

Well, I have filled you in on the next chapter. Please click the button below and leave a review…


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9: Chasing Love and Loose ends

* * *

Luna was standing in Zolton's little "clubhouse". Zolton moved over as Master Sifu. Well Master and Sifu happened to be the same title in Chinese, but for a man who was half back and half Chinese that had a name that was... well hard to pronounce, everyone just called him Master Sifu. He didn't really mind. But standing there with Hope, she was in information overload as the rest of the Cadre came into the clubhouse. Cece Cranston, Shadow Girl; Jessie Bei Fong, Rock Child; Michael Timent, Mirror's Edge; April McNeil, Homunculi; Casey Andrews, Gondola. Seeing the data on the screen and the amount of internet video, everyone watched. Winced. And... Eewww... Luna had seen the footage about five times already and the look on the woman's face was priceless and understandable.

"Well you are at least not alone..." April said trying to turn the frown upside-down. Luna shot her a look of; yeah... at least you don't have to deal with the Exorcist girl puking on your counterpart going viral all over the internet. Luna morphed her armor around her so that it formed a complete purple skintight bodysuit that had silver and black sleeves. Michael moved over to give her a shoulder to lean on and feeling his hand on her arm made her feel better. Less exposed.

"Hey, give the girl a break. I know that it must be funny to you all, but she just found out, that other than Hope and some guy in Chicago, there is someone who has the same powers she does." Jessie said marching her young twelve-year-old frame over to in front of them. "I mean come on... Witchy, must be hyped knowing that she isn't the only one of her kind out there." Jessie put as her Chinese features reflected through her taste in Green and Lime clothing.

"Jessie..." Witchblade spoke up using Luna's mouth and body. "It isn't that I am _Hyped _as you say it, but I do not know if this woman..." Witchblade pointed with Luna's hand to the monitors. "...is the other half of me?" Everyone looked at Witchblade with curiosity.

"Other half?" Some spoke wondering what was going on.

"Yes... see nearly half a century ago, I had to split myself into two parts. One to stay with Hope's mother Sara, and the other to the next welder of the Witchblade... Danielle Baptiste. To make a long story short Danielle's blade wound up in Japan. I tried to communicate with her, but I lost contact." There was a long pause as everyone in the room looked at Witchy.

"Soo..." Cece looked at the monitor and wondered which one of the women on the monitors was the other half. "Witchy... your sister, um... Will the name Blade do for the time being... uh... um... is on one of these women?" The long phrase breakup emphasized the digestion of the train of thought that was occurring to everyone in the room.

"Yes..." Witchy spoke clearly, "and given that she must have had her own set of adventures, but given some of the information that Master Sifu has given Hope over the years pertaining to the events of my sister." Witchy sagged Luna's head. "I think she had a hard time... I mean she was used as lab experiment to raise demons in Japan. Then..." Luna took control of her body and walked over to one of Zolton's piles of salvaged spy gear and picked up a lighter and started to roll it in her fingers. Witchy calmed down feeling the metal lighter in her metallic fingers. Sifu came forward and started to speak to his students.

"All the information on the Okinawa incident states that the second Witchblade, has bounced around several times in that part of the world." Sifu watched as Luna/Witchblade tried to work through the emotions of her forms. "Each time causing chaos."

"No... Shit... Back when we were still here in New York... She hyped up Danielle's body so much while helping a student get out of a bad relationship with her boyfriend... She killed the guy..." Witchy took control again flaying her arms around with the lighter in her grip.

"So you were the good kid, and your sister blade was the wild child of the bunch..." April scratched the back of her neck pulling loose several strands of her brown and red hair. Luna's head nodded. April pursed her lips and blew at this to press the tension out of her body. "Crap..."

"So... In other words..." Casey looked at the monitor reading and looking at the images of Masane Amaha. "This Masane girl wound up with the blade and..."

"For all I know, she is some cheesecake lesbian erotic dancer who rides with a all female motorcycle gang topless." Witchy collapsed to the floor as Cece moved over to help her friend up.

"Hey... I remember that gang of Coda Amazon Warriors..." Cece's hair went from black to green as her glimmer reflected her personality. "Trust me... For all you know and from what the file says... She's just a single mom... Wasn't one of your previous hosts a single mom?" Cece said as she focused her powers into Luna's and Witchy's minds.

"Um Hum..." Witchy was forced out through the influence of mental powers. Taking a Kleenex out of her over the shoulder purse and wiping tears from Witchy's and Luna's eyes while moving her to Zolton's command chair to plop her down into.

"Now for all you know... Your sister might be a nice person. A bit like your host. A bit like Miss Hope... But... a be assured. She is making the same mistakes as you?" Witchy grinned using Luna's mouth. Then Luna took over.

"I think that Witchy understands that some of her fears are alleviated." Luna said as she felt Witchy wrap around her chest and cleavage of her breasts and hug her as the middle of her back was massaged like a face needing to be patted. Taking a look at the lighter she had pouched from the pile of spy stuff she read the inscription aloud.

"TO OUR MAN FLYNN, BEST AGENT IN THE FIELD" Luna smirked at the inscription. "Some personalized lighter." Luna held up the lighter and examined it. that was when Zolton went white as a sheet when he turned around to her.

"Did you say Flynn?" Zolton was wincing at the name.

"Yes Flynn. F - L - Y - N - N. Why?" Luna was about to flick the head of the Zippo lighter open. Before Zolton could scream "NOOO!" The lighter ignited and a stream of fire leapt from the lighter head and hit the fire suppression sensor. Within moments a wall of Halon gas was released into the room. Quickly everyone had to leave the clubhouse marching up the stairs and out of the store. Grabbing the lighter out of Luna's hand Zolton flicked the cover shut and marched Luna/Witchblade out of the computer core.

With everyone outside coughing Zolton shot Luna a look of, don't even say it.

"Who in God's Good Name puts a blowtorch into a lighter?" Casey said been coughs.

"James Flynn, US Espionage Core. Nineteen-Sixty. Picked up at an estate sale five years ago." Zolton said fuming looking at the now empty lighter, then looking at the clubhouse. Taking his phone out Zolton went through a few menus on his phone and triggered a remote shut-down and transfer of the computer systems in the clubhouse. The sounds of the fire department could be heard down the street.

"Well there goes the Clubhouse..." Jessie said looking down at her now bare feet on the asphalt street having lost her flip flops running out of the store.

"Looks like we are going to need to use a backup meeting place for the time being?" Sifu said looking as the fire fighters walked into the store and into the back.

"Yeah... I think someone doesn't want to go to Japan to meet some long lost family." Zolton scowled at Luna was Witchblade had reverted to her bracelet form. That was when April and Cece were on their cell phones making calls.

"What are the two of you doing?" Casey said with a cough.

"Getting airplane tickets for all of us to Japan. We are getting this resolved." April said Speaking with one phone in her ear and another being used as a web browser in her hands. "Cece, handle the plane, I'll handle the accommodations... Konnichiwa..." Then April started to rattle off in Japanese. Luna knew that she was heading to Japan one way or another. Just kicking and screaming wasn't on her top ten options of getting there.

* * *

Masane felt nervous as she placed the phone call to Reiji. She knew that she had a lot to explain... She listened to the ring. Would Riko hate her... Cry... Masane felt her heart clench as the second ring come... She could feel Riko running to the phone and picking it up... What if it was Rinji? Would he love her? They had a night of passion together... She felt his pain during their sex... The yearning... The emotion... Masane bit her lip as the line rang again... What was taking so long? Then the phone picked up. It was Riko's voice.

"You have reached the offices of Odd-Job Amaha."

"Riko... It's your mom..." Masane forced out with every drop of emotion she could. The hearing Riko talk over her she realized she had gotten an answering machine.

"... We are currently not in right now, so please leave a message after the beep." Masane felt sad... then as the message continued she heard hope.

"If you are trying to reach Mister Reiji Takayama, please press two now and you will be transferred to his private line now." Quickly realizing that getting in touch with Reiji might be best hope Masane leaned into two on the keypad of the phone as hard as she could. Praying that it would connect her soon her with her daughter and her boyfriend. Then the line started ringing again. Then a skip as it was transferred to a different line after two rings. Then another skip and two rings later a pick up.

"Takayama here..." Masane started speaking like a wild person.

"Reiji... Oh God... it is good to hear your voice..." Masane gulped... "How is Riko? Crap... Is she okay? It's Masane..."

"Masane?" Reiji said in disbelief... "Now listen whoever you are this is not funny!" Masane feared that he thought she was still dead... "Now I have a trace line on this phone, if you do not answer..." Masane decided to use the only thing she had going for them, the night they made love together.

"Reiji... Okay... The night after you lost your job at the Doji group I went over to your place to knock some sense into your head, it was raining, you kissed me in the rain and we both expressed the love we felt for each other..." Masane kept going. "We were both soaked, as we undressed and made love to each other. You like to be on top... Grunt like a pig, which I find kinda cute, and you do this massage thing with your thumbs on the dips of a girl's shoulder that gives her a great orgasm..." Masane felt she had split too much in front of Marry, but she didn't care... "You told me how you got the scar over your eye. Rena gave it to you when you learned she was pregnant with Riko."

"Masane..." Masane could hear the springs and arms of the chair he was sitting in be knocked over as he stood up. "Is that you?"

"It's me... turn on the news... I think I am on the hourly news loop." She could hear several mouse commands being given as the sounds of the Web Browser coming up and buffering the web stream of the first news-site he came across.

"Crap... Masane you have the subtly of a bull in a china shop during wedding season." Masane could hear him righting the chair; the level strict tone of his voice came through over the phone as she could picture him rubbing his forehead.

"Yeah..." Masane rubbed the back of her neck with embarrassment at this. "Didn't expect things to wind up like that... But... can't take it back now."

"Masane..." She could tell he was pissed at her.

"Yeah Reiji..." Masane leaned into the phone as she pulled her legs up onto Marry's couch. "So... How is Riko doing? And why is Odd-Job Amaha on your Answering Machine?"

"Fine... she is at school right now..." a long paused followed. "Where are you at?"

"I'm at Marry's..." then Masane heard a ruffling around as she could hear over the phone as he was looking for something on his desk.

"What are you looking for?" Masane said processing the information in her head when she had to be his secretary on paper to say the least and seeing his office desk. It was spotless, but it was his home office desk that came to mind given the noise.

"Keys..." Masane put her fingers to her forehead and thought hard. His home desk was where he did his true work, his intellectual stuff.

"Try your middle desk drawer, on your right." Masane heard the drawer open. There was a long pause as Reiji found the keys...

"How did you..." Masane could see Reiji move around his office. It was like the first time she triggered the Witchblade during a test of its capabilities moments before the orgasm of battle took over her mind. "Have you been in my office when you were here?"

"Reiji... Just do something for me okay..." Masane said worrying if a new power had emerged since she had been gone.

"What is it Masane?" Reiji said sitting on the edge of his desk with the keys in his hands.

"Just do some random numbers with your fingers..." She could sense the disbelief in his voice.

"Masane..." Masane could see Reiji's hand on his face.

"Just do it?" Masane pleaded.

"Three, Two, Four, Five, Thumb, Middle Finger, pinkie..." Masane said off the top of her head.

"How did you..." Reiji spoke softly...She could see Reiji turn around from his desk...

"Oh... Crap..." Masane swallowed hard...

"What Masane... are you outside..." Masane placed her hand onto her forehead...

"I think I unlocked another power of the Witchblade..."

"Just sit where you are Masane... I'm coming..."

"Please bring Riko with you..." Reiji felt Masane's fear in her voice as he headed out of the door to get his and Masane's daughter.

* * *

Alexa was walking next to Admiral Sheppard. Her head was spinning at the information placed before her. Hyper-Aggressive Human Offshoot. International Oversight Authority. The walk was giving her space, but...

"Head still spinning?" Sheppard said putting a fatherly hand on her shoulder. She nodded.

"Yeah... I had that same feeling too." They continued to walk seeing the camp being packed up.

"Why..." Alexa rubbed a metallic hand across her forehead.

"Why would an American Admiral be commanding troops on Japanese Soil?" Alexa nodded.

"Well, given with recent events with the Witchblade, well events over the past thirty-years..."

"THIRTY-YEARS!" Alexa yelled at the top of her lungs. Sheppard grinned at this and gave a soft chuckle...

"Yeah.. Thirty-years..." Alexa looked worried at this. How long have they planned for this event? For someone like her... or this Masane woman?

"Well given that the Witchblade has been known to leave quite a mess in its wake, the Japanese government wanted to bring in a team of specialists." Alexa looked around at the camp and rubbed her arms to force of the chill. "You cold?" Alexa shook her head no.

"IOA was formed to deal with Ultra-Human threats to planetary security. We have deal with living tactical weapons, Runaway Alien hardware, the occasional alien incursion, supernatural monsters, inter-dimensional Hell Spawn, and other crap that if you knew about it would place you in the loony bin." Alexa was more scared at this as she swallowed hard.

"Okay... so... I am not the biggest fish you have dealt with?" Sheppard grinned. She didn't know if that was a good thing or a bad thing.

"Far from it..." That was when she saw Tyson closing up the back of the truck they had loaded earlier, she thought about him. "If you are wondering why a Japanese unit hasn't come for you... I will put it as simple as this. They are tied up in dealing with one of those God Damn Doji Group I-Weapons that is a hundred miles from here in coordination with Chinese and Russian units to take that thing out."

"So... I got passed to..."

"My Unit... Yes Alexa... I was nearest to the closest military asset in the area." Sheppard Shrugged at this. "I have a history of dealing with living hardware... so when the phone rang... I had to take care of your ass. The Japanese government doesn't want a repeat of the damn Okinawa incident of Thirty, Fifteen, Six years ago, and that is not counting the entire mess from six months ago we are doing a mop up on." Alexa felt worried at this.

"The Thirty year-old event... Okinawa... What was it?" Alexa forced herself to speak. Sheppard decided that he needed to brief her on the details.

"Well..." Sheppard started to speak about the events, "Over the centuries... there have been people and organizations that have attempted to harness the power of supernatural creatures and artifacts... Now most notable was the time during the Second World War with Germany. Trust me the number of stolen mystical artifacts the Germans got their hands on boggles the mind... To make a long story short... Two brother Alchemists from another dimension put a kink into their plans and were able to aid the Allies in bringing the war to a close in Europe. Now given the potency of these artifacts, several Warlocks and Witches from Russia worked with these brothers along with a team of mystics that was gathered together from around the world to put a quote "Lid on this mystical shit..." unquote..." Sheppard said clearing his throat. Alexa looked worried. "Given that over time, security at any facility becomes lax due to the age of the facility, budget cuts, bribery, or just plain old school ignorance of the crap that is being stored. Thus... the mess with Okinawa mess started about thirty years ago..."

"So..."

"So because of some researcher doing research on Youki mythology found out that there was a masterful Healer Demon who had died... And that The Witchblade has resurrection powers... Well old school greed took over for some Japanese Public health researchers trying to find a Cure for some H1N1 Flu virus that had been going through the world at the time... Decided to go through and find all the remains of the slain demons in the local area and started a process to find the one that was this healer... to make the matter short, this team resurrected several demons that were considered class seven hostile. The mop up operations required a team of Russian, Gypsy, Japanese, and Native American mystics to can their sorry ass as well as their leader's..." Sheppard rubbed his head. "Anton, the leader of the Russian team told me of the mess he had to deal with." That was when Sheppard stopped walking and Alexa was forced to follow his lead. "Alexa... I apologize for the fact that I had several officers disobey strict orders to not engage. But Given that I have several headaches coming my way..."

"You are going to leave me alone..." Alexa felt a bit concerned at that. Alexa swallowed and wondered about Tyson... He seemed like a nice enough guy... then what about her sisters... What if a sister of hers got shot… Who was like her... Just wanting to be left alone... Like the ones that she had talked to on the video link... "Mr... Admiral..." Alexa didn't know what title worked for this man before her. "Sir..." Sheppard studied Alexa's body language and let her proceed on her terms. "Would you mind that I help you?"

"Alexa... you think that following my men back to base makes you an expert in dealing with Supernatural and Alien Beings..."

"No... Sir... What I mean is that..." Alexa bit her lip and swallowed hard and took the plunge. "Given the Situation with this Amaha woman... How about I become your eyes and ears in finding out what she is up to? I mean... Seeing that she is looking for other Witchblades... I would allow you to have someone who knows what her plans are... and ..." Alexa looked around the camp.

"You don't want another mistake that happened to you to occur when we find the next Witchblade girl..." Alexa nodded to this. "I'll see what I can do... But remember... I will keep you on a short leash... So... If you go hostile... I will put you down myself." Alexa nodded at this... Understanding that she had just entered a world where things were very dark and that there were those whose job it was to deal with messes and clean them up. "Good... Well I'll see if I can get you a ride back to your home..." Sheppard patted Alexa on the shoulder and walked away as Tyson came up to her and spoke to her...

"So what did the Admiral want with you?" Alexa bit her lip again...

"Um... I think I got a job..." She grinned as she swallowed feeling that she had gotten in over her head. "So... Tell me a little about some of your pass stuff. I think that I need to know what I might be dealing with in the future while I am working in this command." Tyson blew out a puff of air and thought hard of what he would say next.

"Well... Where do you want to start?" Tyson said looking into her brown eyes.

"What was your first mission like?"

"Got a couple of hours?"

"Yes..."

"No... I mean that was the answer..."

"Oh..." This was going to be harder than she thought.

* * *

TBC

* * *

Note: The Coda – Are a group of Alien Female warriors in the Wildstorm comic universe. Full Alien members of the species are long-lived/nearly immortal and are infertile when mating with their own species. Interspecies hybrids with humans show enhanced strength and powers. One of their earth bases was the mythical island of Themascara, home of the Amazons.

Well more information to come,

What is Luna's next move?

Riko's meeting Masane?

Kiani returns…

Please review


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10: Getting there...

* * *

Kiani sat on the bridge of the ship... The news footage had revealed that there were three or more Witchblades out there... Was she dealing with a species? She rubbed her head... Humans... She got up and walked towards the back of the ship as she awaited word from the High Council on the update on the information she had sent them. Sitting down next to her granddaughter Killa who was coloring on a piece of smart paper with her finger killing time to keep her mind occupied.

"I haven't done this in a long time..." Killa said pulling her leg up to her chest. Kiani leaned over in the chair in the eating area.

"Feels good to take a break..." Kiani said looking at the picture. "So... What are you drawing?" Noticed the architecture was very different than that of the Blue, or even the Black.

"An Old human undersea compound that was discovered ages ago in the Atlantic... Saw pictures of it in my studies..." Kiani looked at the way the buildings were constructed. Very different from human idea of design she had seen in the past. These almost looked like statues or iconic art that had been built on the sea floor.

"So... Is this one of the human lost settlements that your mother is studying?" Kiani watched as the images became more detailed.

"Yes... Just that moving around the compound, Mom said that there were several bodies found where many of them had died of..." Killa felt sick to her stomach...

"Killa... you shouldn't have heard about stuff like that." Kiani reached out to comfort her granddaughter. "I know that the settlement's occupants died of compression sickness, but..."

"Grandma..." Killa took in a deep breath and started to tap another color and started to smear the images off the paper in a broad swath type of way... "I know that people die, but seeing them die, is something else... I know that you have taken lives Grandma..." Kiani nodded in understanding... "I don't want to see the dead, but they are there watching you when you find their remains... Their spirits watching you. They know you are there and they let you know they are there. Some blame you for their deaths; some just want you to know they forgive you even if you are not the person that is responsible for their deaths."

"Yes, Killa..." Kiani said sadly... "I have seen more death than anyone should. I have taken lives... Some out of hate... some out of..." Kiani fought back tears... "Killa... Why are you thinking about death so much?" She forced out of her mouth...

"I am just scared Grandma..." Killa spoke as she slapped her hand down on the smart paper and left a back handprint across the image she had been working on. "... I have heard stories about what the Humans did to our people... And the events that lead to the deaths of so many..."

"You are scared that you will die and not seeing your parents again?" Killa nodded as Kiani moved over and hugged her granddaughter. "It is going to be okay Killa..." Kiani spoke softly as she kissed her granddaughter's braided hair. "I am going to make sure that you see your parents once again." Kiani said as she reached over to the smart paper and reset it to a blank sheet and started to trace her hand on the intelligent material. Taking several moments she traced the details of a squid or octopus on the hand trace and put down some goofy eyes on it with a smile... Then the screen came to life as the figure was animated making a funny face at Killa. Killa grinned. Was she ever that young and innocent? A tear rolled down Kiani's face as she watched her granddaughter enjoy the animation as a subtitle beep started up as she realized that the High Council had made its decision on her next course of action.

* * *

Luna was looking across the airport terminal as she watched the ticket agent take the tickets, scan the passports and gave them the boarding slip before heading to the small private terminal. Given the rush on the getting her to Japan, April and Cece had used their family connections to connect the Cadre with a small fleet of private business jets.

Now contrary to popular belief, private jets tend to be owned by charter groups and not by individuals as many have seen in TV and Movies... No... The Corporate Private Jet, the Backbone of international business, do not make their money by working for one client. But in actuality they function more like a taxi/limo service. All collecting fares to head to a common destination, thus as a result given the advent of Internet social networking sites and the cost of fuel, these flights were opened up to private individuals who could pay for a ticket. This way a plane when flying back to a corporate headquarters or to pick someone up in a foreign country could partially defer the costs of its operations. Thus April and Cece had used their connections to create a series of deadhead links on one of these planes on its way to pick up several employees from Japan while dropping them off in the process. Why lose money sending over an empty plane when you could have paying passengers go over on the flight and pick up your people on the way back. At a hundred dollars per hour, for 13.9 hours of flight time for seven people who brought a bagged lunch along and had only a single bag of carry-on luggage. Well... do the math... you just paid for the fuel of the trip and didn't have to go through an extensive background screening to get on the plane. In Luna's present circumstance as she walked over to the small private terminals sitting area, she didn't have to remove Witchy from her wrist. In a way she couldn't, or at least until she found the next bearer or died in the process.

As she sat down to wait for the plane she noticed that other than the Cadre that a young woman and a tall well built African American man were sitting in another set of chairs. These two figures didn't look out of place, but given the rush they looked in, it didn't look like they were corporate individuals.

"So... Our flight leaves in twenty minutes..." Cece said changing her hair color to blue as she sat down before shifting it to blond. Luna didn't listen she felt Witchy dig into her mind and start to sense something wrong in the girl.

_Luna..._ Witchy spoke softly as the blade on her wrist start to move under her skin. _The girl, she is ill..._ Luna felt as Witchy started to project an overlay almost transparent image of the young girl. Then layers of skin, muscle and bone were all pulled away until the girl's internal organs could be seen. Glowing in an off red, the girl's heart beat erratically showing the long term genetic damage since birth through Luna's eyes. Luna felt Witchy's pain next to her own as she felt the illness in this girl, the pain... yet... Emotional hope... Luna got up and changed her seat so that she sat next to the girl.

"Hi... My name is Luna..." Luna spoke softly as she sat down. The girl turned towards her and offered her hand out.

"Krista..." The girl said with a head full of waifsih hair. It took a moment as Witchy enhanced Luna's vision to see the hairline of the girl was artificial.

"So... Catching a flight out of state?" Luna said in her best Americanized English. The girl nodded.

"Yes... Um, I'm heading to California..." The girl said slowly looking around the small lobby area.

"For fun?" Luna spoke as she felt Witchy itch the back of her mind.

"Not actually... A transplant..."

"Heart?" Luna knew the answer already, but wanted the girl to tell her side of the story.

"Yes... how did you know?" The girl didn't act like she was embarrassed about it.

"Just that ..." Luna pointed to the girl's hairline, "I spotted the wig... and your Aura." Luna half lied...

"Wow... I have heard of people that can read auras, but never had met on in the flesh..." The girl was interested... "What is it like?" The girl was seeing what Luna's powers were like. Luna's eyes started to glow sliver as she looking through the girl's body.

"Well, I'm technically a Ultra-human..." Luna squinted as she tried to focus in on something. "You have had three surgeries on your chest." Luna bit her lip. "Got poked through the side four times, up the inside of your leg. One kidney looks like someone beat the crap out of it from the calcium build up. Pre-prep anti-rejection drugs in your liver." Luna was waving her hand as if she was trying to pull a better image out. Then she got to the girl's belly and her eyes went wide. "You lost your virginity in the last twenty-four hours..." Luna was looking at the broken hymen membrane as the bones of the girl's arms started to obscure the image.

"Whoa..." Krista became a bit defensive as she blushed and cleared her throat quickly. "Um... so x-ray vision..."

"Well more actually a CAT scan..." Luna's eyes went normal again. "X-rays goes through tissue and don't provide the clarity that a CAT scan does. What I get is like an image walk through, I can tell the rates of magnetic rotation of the atomic matter and the image shows me the texture of that material I am looking at. Sorry about finding out you lost your virginity." Luna blushed.

"Don't worry..." Krista bit her lip... "I haven't event told my parents yet. I know that I need a heart transplant, but... I want to live my life..."

"So... you didn't want to die a virgin?" Luna spoke quizzically.

"No..." Krista said turning towards her. "I have a bucket list of things I want to accomplish. Before I kick the bucket."

"So... having sex with your boyfriend was on the list?"

"No..." There was a pause as Krista blushed. "Watching the sunrise over Manhattan skyline, the sex just happened as a way to kill time as we stayed up most of the night talking about our families." Krista giggled at this as she leaned back in the chair. "Yeah... he was more nervous about doing the deed than I was..." Luna reached out and felt Krista's arm.

"Well at least you have something to finish up after you come back to after the surgery." Luna exhaled...

"So what about you?" Krista spoke up seeing that there were several people moving around. Zolton was tapping on his mini laptop as the projected data floated in the air as the three plastic green trunks beside him were used as a desk.

"Well I and my friends are heading to Japan to take care of some family business." Luna said as April was talking on the phone and looking over Zolton's shoulder as he called up images that were obscured the by the filter screen.

"So what type of family business?" Krista said watching Zolton and April look at something on the screen and agree with it.

"Just a long lost relative who has gotten into some trouble lately." Luna got up and walked over to April. "Give me a sec."

"Got a place to stay while we are Tokyo." April said pointing to a floating image.

"A houseboat?" Luna said cautiously.

"Not exactly, a NUMA research barge. It is dry docked for the next few weeks as they install new engines in her. A friend is letting us stay onboard who did some work with my parents. But given that we needed a place to stay on such short notice, he is letting us stay onboard if we help with painting and IT work. She is a bit cozy, but given we might be there for a few weeks." Luna understood that April had her connections, but NUMA...

"NUMA?" Luna said worried.

"Naval Undersea Marine Association. Basically they are a group of treasure seekers who are all ex-military. Between the work they do in looking for shipwrecks, they also aid in recovery of aircraft and boats that have sunk so investigators can find out what went wrong."

"Oh, so they are undersea investigative team." Luna felt a little uneasy with this.

"Don't worry, they don't do anything illegal. They aided in the recovery of people during the Great Tokyo Quake." April calmed Luna's nerves as she relaxed. "So pretty much right now they are refitting the boat so that they can take it into Tokyo harbor and beyond so they can place seismic sensors for quake detection." Luna felt reassured by this as she returned to her set to talk with Krista.

"Wow... you are going to be staying on a houseboat while you are in Tokyo..." Krista was beaming. "Hope that you find that relative of yours." Luna felt worried at this.

"Hopefully, we won't get in a fight again like what happened years ago. I know that we both made mistakes, but knowing my cousin has kids might make this hard for me. The long lost relative showing on their front door and saying Hi... I'm Luna... I'm related to you..." Luna pulled her jaw in while performing a yuck shudder to her face. "I'm more afraid of the MOM... being yelled out by her kids." This was when Krista offered her hand to Luna.

"Don't worry; things will work out for you." Luna looked sad at this.

"That is what I am afraid of..." Luna watched as Casey was dragging in another trunk worth of gear with him.

"How much luggage do you have?" Krista looked at the number of trunks being piled up in the lobby.

"Just one trunk... The rest have their own." Krista looked at the number around her as Luna worried that they were going to invade a country.

"How many people are going with you?"

"Just eight people... I think half it is Zolton's computer gear."

"Computer Gear? Why would one guy need so much computer gear?"

"Yeah... Well, trust me... A friend of his, who works computer forensics with the Tokyo PD, wants next gen diagnostic gear. And this stuff is custom built. Zolton builds it, police get it, and they catch bad guys."

"So..."

"If a file has been placed on a flash drive, erased and copy over one hundred times, that has been put into a blender, micro waved, frozen, and dumped into saltwater for a month or more... He can get it with this gear." Krista's eyes were bulging out of her head at this.

"Okay, remind me never to take any nude pics of myself and place them on my hard drive."

"Trust me; I think he has pics of me doing yoga in the nude." Luna said worried.

"No... I don't have pictures of you doing yoga in the nude Luna... But..." Zolton winced. "But trust me... I think Cougar has pictures of Casey's behind from orbit." Casey looked around worried as he placed the trunk down he was carrying.

"What do you mean by Cougar?" Then his eyes went wide in horror. "You mean that old lady who..." Zoltan winced.

"Yes her... The woman who has a yearly Sat recon on a nude beach in southern France that has nothing but three miles of sausage for four weeks a year."

"That is just plain wrong, sick and wrong..." Casey said quickly placing his behind against a wall.

"Hey... Twelve miles north... on that same coast happen to be a beach with nothing but boobies..." The girls shot Zolton a scathing stare. "Hey read the Fodors guide to France, you learn this stuff." Zolton cleared his throat and quickly started typing on his computer dreading the next few weeks.

* * *

Rihoko sat next to Reiji in his SUV... Things had been different since Mom disappeared along with Tokyo Tower in that flash of light. Squeezing the bracelet she had made out of a slap bracelet and some white and black wax covered twisty string wrapped around the mixed color sea shell. Rihoko worked hard to make a mirror bracelet of her mom's, maybe if she wished hard enough on the shell, she could get superpowers too and find her mom. Reiji was nice at times, but she wanted him to be with her mom. It had been tough for him, but she cut him some slack since her mom had disappeared with Tokyo Tower in getting rid of those monster tanks that were terrorizing the city. Whatever was up Riko didn't like the feel of it; Reiji wasn't like this when he picked her up from school. Something was up.

"Reiji..." Riko spoke from sitting in the front seat. "What is going on?"

"Nothing much, just a surprise." Riko knew that he had a hard time with her, but something felt different. He was trying to be nice... Overcompensating for something in his past. She missed mom, and Reiji's new bosses were strange even that white skinned lady Dorothy who worked in the house as his assistant. She felt cold to the touch, but she was nice.

"Dorothy..." Reiji said into the SUV's speaker phone as a monotone voice came over the stereo speakers.

"Yes Reiji..."

"... I need you to gather Team Douji together and have them ready. I want full medical, biometric, and that Psionic woman... um..." Reiji was trying to remember a name... Something was on his mind.

"Lenora." Dorothy finished Reiji's sentence. "Yes, she just got back into the country a little while ago from visiting her folks in the Caribbean."

"Yes... when she gets in, transport her to..." This was when Dorothy cut in.

"We are currently in progress to your location." Reiji looked up to the speaker, before he was nearly cut off by a car on the road. Taking quick action to recover both mentally and reaction wise to keep the SUV on the road from Dorothy's statement over the speaker phone while avoiding oncoming traffic.

"WHAT!"

"Reiji... keep your eyes on the road... or when I cook tonight I'll put something into your food to make you go poo for a long time." Riko said waving her finger at Reiji. As Reiji looked at his driving skills recover from Riko's threat he made the turn that would take them to Marry's. That was when Rihoko started to lighten up as she started to noticed where they were driving. "Reiji... Are we heading to Marry's?" Reiji nodded to confirm this question. That was when Rihoko's eyes started to glow silver as she placed her hands on her head to forced back some pain happening her head. Rihoko started to get scared. Reiji quickly found an open parking space in front of Marry's bar and reached over to look at Rihoko that was when a woman collapsed outside the door of Marry's bar. Then he saw Masane race out...

"_Mom_..." Rihoko croaked out seeing her mom help the woman, and then before she passed out she heard her mom scream her name.

"RIKOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO OO..."

* * *

Alexa stretched out as she got out of the car. Between the mess from the bullets and the attack team... She looked like she was so fired...

"ALEXA..." Her bosses voice rang out as she walked into the lobby wearing the combat pants and a borrowed t-shirt. She stopped in her tracks... "Where the hell have you been?" She could hear the footsteps pad across the floor and knew her employer was pissed at what had happened to their establishment.

"Trying to avoid being shot at..." Alexa reached over and picked up a broom and started sweeping. "Grabbed by a group of army guys... then learned that I was not a threat..." She turned to start fishing through her pockets. "Oh... I got the number of the guy who opened fire." She pulled the card out the pocket of her borrowed clothes and proceeded to into her bosses hand. "Now excuse me I have to clean up the mess they made and take photos of the damage for your insurance company." Alexa's boss was left with his jaw on the floor as she marched through taking photos of the mess with her camera phone that she fished out of her clothing bucket. All the things one had to go through to make sure the boss was happy.

Alexa laid back on her bed mat as she let her extra large sleep shirt cling around her body. The small apartment she called home wasn't much but, it was hers. Stretching out her claws she watched as her Clone blade hugged her hand. Father was dead... No more chasing her... Free... What about the others? Were they just as fucked up as she was? A child in an adult body... Alexa pulled the stuffed-animal wolf over to herself and hugged it close.

So... much information...

Others like her who had powers who had regained their lives...

A Mother... She had a sister who was going to be a mother... A Neogene-Human Hybrid...

Super-humans... Powers... Aliens...

Sheppard was right... If you knew half the shit that was going on... Alexa buried her face into her wolf trying to get a feeling back that she was safe now...

The Chosen... We are the Chosen Ones... Maria's voice echoed in her mind... Then the I-Weapons... Then there was a whap against the window... Alexa armored up so fast that the stuffed animal was incorporated into her Clone blade form.

Moving towards the window... She looked out... Tyson...

"Crap... you are a werewolf!" Tyson said in broken Japanese. Alexa realizing that her stuffed animal was clung to the front of her, she untangled her armor from the stuffed wolf and placed it on the floor.

"No... Sorry..." Alexa looked around to see if anyone had seen her by the window. "Just my lucky stuffed animal..." She blushed as she tried to conceal the creature behind her... She probably looked like a scared kid with their wubby standing by the window.

"Oh... listen sorry about the mess that…" Tyson was apologizing...

"Hey... you guys freaked... I understand..." Alexa moved to the second story window and sat down on the wooden tiled roof outcropping. Then she realized that she wasn't wearing any underwear. She gritted her teeth as the cold night air blew up her shirt and went across her naked crotch and buttocks... That was when her armored responded and produced a u-string thong across her lower body while armor formed across parts of her exposed skin.

"Neo-Gene..." The word was broken up and Alexa looked ashamed... "Sorry..." Tyson decided to lean against a lamppost. "I didn't know..."

"Do you hate me for not being human?"

"Given this job... I'm surprised that you have kept it together... as long as you have." Tyson shrugged. "Hey, I have dealt with everything from mutant chimera nymphomaniac sex cybernetic lesbians to heavily depressed super intelligent robots carrying a POV gun just wanting to get laid. Trust me a girl who has living tactical armor on her rates mild on my list of things." Alexa leaned back trying to process that information.

"Okay..." Alexa cleared her throat... "So... On your scale of weird, I'm normal..."

"Yeah that pretty much covers it." Tyson shrugged as Alexa exhaled.

"So..." Alexa was trying to get a reference of what was going on. "What brings you by here?"

"Just wanted to talk..." Tyson said as he held up a shopping bag. "And share some relaxing tea."

"What no Beer?" Tyson looked at her.

"Trust me... I tried but..." There was a pause... "Hey... They check for ID... All I have is my base ID and the jerk didn't want to take it... so I went with tea... I hope that isn't an insult?" Alexa giggled...

"Hey... I won't argue... I just spent the last few hours doing cleanup for your guys shoot out." Alexa crossed her arms.

"Yeah... the guy who opened fire got a new hole chewed into his ass..." Alexa grinned at this.

"Well come on up..." Alexa motioned for him to come in through the front of the building.

"Thanks..." Tyson said as he moved to the front door and waited for the buzz to unlock the door for him to come in.

* * *

TBC

* * *

Well sorry about leaving you all hanging with that but more is to come.

Hearns


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11: Masane and Rihoko

* * *

Rihoko winced through pain as she drifted back to the real world. Then she had to shut her eyes as a bright light was shined into her eyes... Her head was screaming... Then she felt the light go away as she felt two hands on her forehead . She batted at them trying to get them away.

"Easy there..." the woman's voice spoke softly as the noise in her head started to shift some. It was like someone had the TV up way too high and it was hurting her ears... Then the volume was slowly turned down. The pressure on the sides of her head increased a little as she opened her eyes. A dark-skinned woman in dressed in white was standing in front of her... "The noise in your head should go down slowly now." She spoke as Rihoko felt the pain decrease. As Rihoko looked around to see Reiji she saw a person...

"Mom... " Rihoko said weakly as she reached out fearing the figure was a dream.. But feeling her mom's warm hand hold hers grounded her to reality.

"I'm here Princess Rihoko..." Her mom was crying... Rihoko tried to move forward but the dark-skinned woman held her down... "Mommy isn't going anywhere..."

"Easy there... Little one... your mind has been through a psychic assault..." the woman said as she forced her fingers into Rihoko's head. "Now... you will be with your mom in a second, I just need to..." A sharp pain hit the back of Rihoko's eyes for just a moment then... the noise was gone... "There..." the woman moved her hands away from Rihoko's head and stood up. Then Masane moved in and hugged her daughter tight fearing to lose her again.

"It's really you mom..." Rihoko didn't mind being squished by her mom's large frame... It felt nice... They just held each other for the longest time.

* * *

Sheppard was sitting at his desk in Japan's IOA Headquarters. The place was hopping, between word getting about Masane Amaha all of the governments that Douji Industries had a contract with and the surviving NWSF factions were all desperate to learn how many Clone Blades had sided with the Witchblade so far. Hell, they only knew of the one in Japan as he turned to see the file on the smart paper sheets on the table before him. Luna Noya'na was on her way to Japan. If these factions learned of her existence, then... He just rubbed his fingers into his forehead to ease the headache he was getting.

Then an alert formed on the screen of his smart terminal desk. He tapped the desk's surface and the list of known hostiles came onto the screen. Twelve of the Thirteen had surfaced. He hated the Thirteen... The Thirteen just had to be the ones to come onto the scene. A Cabal of Thirteen individuals who possessed mystical, alien or extra-dimensional items that granted them control of events or forces beyond human comprehension.

Ever since Darkness and Angelus had been kicked out of the Thirteen because of all their infighting. Three new figures had taken their place... Why oh why did a Youki Demon Lord, A Immortal Zombie Space Pilot, and a Sentient Deamon Computer Software being have to take their place? That was when he tapped the phone on his desk.

"This is Sheppard..." the Admiral spoke into the phone. "I want a virtual conference with all senior IOA Command offices stat..." He looked at the files flow onto his desk... "The shit has hit the fan..." He heard the Petty officer on the end of the line confirm what he said. Tokyo was going to be a mess after this. Why didn't he just retire and join NUMA and treasure hunt. He kept kicking himself for not signing the papers those years ago.

* * *

_Deamon - Definition - a simple AI program whose purpose is to gather, process, and produce computer information. A simple biological emulation of cellular processes that when interlinked with other simple AI programs leads to vast and complex behavior being performed on par with a more complex intelligent organism. _

Deamon moved from its flash server drives in its current nest located in a mobile home park in Seattle, Washington to the android body it had recently purchased and set up in a trailer set up by a telecom tower in rural Japanese village in Northern Japan. Male this time... Between the hundred or so android bodies it possessed around the world, this one was most applicable for its operations at this time. The eyes opened and it got up. Moving out of the charging bed it used to keep its bodies prepped, it walked over to the dresser and pulled out garments to clothe its naked form. Most of this function was automatic, but the black Grateful Dead t-shirt and blue jeans it pulled over the well worn purple briefs it had made the artificial creature look human. The messy greasy looking hair over the realistic rubber skin gave the appearance that this individual wasn't a threat. But underneath the surface the body consisted of a robotic frame that would make a military robotic engineer cringe in terror. For this form was based for heavy combat. Moving over to a gun locker, the android pulled out a HK-90 and a P-90 assault rifle with a number of armor piercing round along with 9mm Glock handgun. Checking the weapons with a fine optical scan and sensor diagnostic it placed the two assault rifles into a bag and stuffed the handgun into a holster before heading out of the Trailer and securing the door.

As each Deamon program moved throughout the motor control system of the android the objective formed across its visual display.

NEW OBJECTIVE FOUND-

WITCHBLADE - ACTIVE

ESTABISHING VOCAL PROTOCALS AND LINK

With that the Android moved over to a rusting old American Built H2 Hummer and got in. Hitting the phone dial button on the steering wheel it spoke a programmed number through its voice before the phone line established a connection with the person on the other end.

"Lord Migrua..." the android spoke "This is Deamon... Witchblade had resurfaced. In route to get information of current host's psychological profile. Will communicate with my report in Thirty-Six hours from present time." The voice responded.

"Understood." The call ended as another routine surfaced and the android positioned its body so it could drive. The remote engine start was sent and the vehicle was sent on it's way towards the destination the various Deamon programs had searched out for.

Tokyo, Japan.

* * *

Asagi's head was pounding as she opened her eyes. She looked around to see that she was in some sort of medical bay. She tried to lean forward but her head swam as she pushed herself sideways so that she could see more of where she was at. Then she saw Aoi sleeping. The young Neo-Gene rolled over onto her side and moaned a little. Aoi leaned forward again. And the swimming feeling came back. What had hit her and Aoi? Asagi decided that if she couldn't move in her human form, going Witchblade might help. As the armor formed up around her body her head swam again. Hopefully commanding her Clone blade to move her body might help her find out more of where she was at, the Masane walked in.

"Hey..." Masane said seeing Asagi was awake in a cheery voice. "I see that you are awake." Masane moved over to Asagi's bed.

"Where are we Masane? My Head is pounding... What did you do to us?" Asagi gritted through a mix of pain and anger. Masane reached over softly and took Asagi's hand. She grinned as tears came to her eyes.

"You, Aoi, and my daughter were all affected by whatever... Something..." Masane wiped a tear a from her eye. Masane was showing true concern... She was more freaked out by this... Then there was a yell from the hallway.

"Mom..." A soft small voice called out. Asagi saw the conflict as she looked towards the door. It was like a force was pulling on her... True concern... She swallowed hard as Masane leaned toward the door but it was Asagi's hand that kept Masane from moving. It took incredable effort for Masane to turn back to look at her. Asagi realized that she was personally affected by this, she cared about someone... She was looking on those who...

Masane was doing her best at being a leader... She was looking in on all those she had brought into this mess. She was responsible... Then Asagi decided to see who else was effected by whatever had hurt her and Aoi.

"Masane.. Help me up..." Asagi grabbed the side of the bed and started to kick sideways to force her legs off of the bed. Masane pulled back as she watched Asagi kick like a turned over toy robot.

"Asagi..." Masane pleaded as she attempted to stop Asagi from getting up. But it was too late as Asagi had gotten her legs over the edge and Asagi's center of gravity shifted towards her crotch and she was sitting up.

"I want to see the other who else was affected by what affected me and Aoi." Asagi stabbed two spears into the bed to keep upright. Then Asagi felt, rather than seeing it. It felt familiar... Asagi and Masane turned to see two figures standing by the door.

"Mom..." Rihoko said looking at her and Asagi. "Why does that woman have the same powers as you?" Asagi noticed that the feeling she felt wasn't of the Witchblade, but a sister...

"Masane..." Asagi said as the dizziness returned. "... Catch me..." With that Asagi hit the floor and woke Aoi up with a start.

* * *

Lucy was watching her child play. Being one of Darkness's creations, well technically one a creation of one of The Darkness's previous hosts was strange. She had been created as a fully formed adult female. But as she watched her daughter play with one of the Hell Hounds, she grinned. The four legged creatures like to jump and pounce on things, but Jason had become family to her and her daughter. The sheer pleasure of just running around free brought happiness to her offspring as she played with the Hell Hound the Darkness had created so long ago. Lucy watched as her daughter threw an old bone for the Hell Hound to bring back to her. Lucy had been taught pleasure... Well to technically how to bring pleasure to others through feelings, touch, and fortification. This was different... It was pleasurable for her to see her daughter play, this brought about a completely different set of sensations to her. The Biomass blade she and her daughter wore as clothing, well they all wore as clothing kept her warm. A little too warm for her taste... a little split formed down by her neckline formed to cool her off leaving bear flesh as she sat by the Biomass Tree that had been created when they had come to his plane of existence.

"Lucy..." A voice spoke from behind her as one of the "Trees" moved to allow the person coming to walk by unimpeded.

"Yes..." Lucy turned to see the current bearer of Darkness. Tobias.

"...How's your daughter doing?" Lucy ran her hands through her hair so she looked decent as she presented herself to Tobias.

"Well... She is doing well."

"That's good..." Tobias nodded as he watched the tree return to where it had been originally. "So... Have you heard about the other children of the Witchblade?" Lucy nodded.

"I have Tobias..." She averted her eyes.

"Lucy... I am not your master... I'm your friend. I got stuck here too when the Thirteen banished us to this realm." Lucy nodded before looking at him.

"I know that Sire..." Tobias looked sad when she said this. That was when he moved over and rubbed her chin.

"Lucy..." Lucy followed her inset programming and kissed him. Tobias knew that he had to let her run through the programming in her mind before she would return to normal. If his father wasn't her creator, he would have killed the bastard himself. Then Lucy returned to normal and pulled back hard and afraid. Tobias moved over and hugged her and let her cry. "...It's okay..." Lucy felt safe as she looked back at her daughter. "If the other Darkness spawn were not trapped here, you would have been set free long ago." Lucy nodded.

"The Children of the Witchblade... Do you think they will be able to free us?" Tobias breathed in her red hair and held her close.

"I don't know... but we can always hope." Tobias said as he heard a scream.

"Jessica..." Lucy forced out with fear as her maternal instincts kicked in with full force. Tobias and Lucy ran to where they head the scream. What they say stopped them cold. It was a body of a female human who was in the middle of dissolving into a puddle of organic residue. Then they heard crying, only to see a child bearing a Witchblade of white armor.

"We need to tell the elders about this." Tobias said as he looked down to see that the body of the human woman wasn't dissolving, it was forming.

"_Ri.. na..._" the woman spoke as her organs formed in the gaping hole in her chest as the massive breasts she had dripped milk as she forced herself to stay conscious. Lucy bent down and caressed the woman's cheek to let her know, she was with someone who cared.

* * *

Asagi felt better after the Dark Skinned woman, Lenora did something to her head as the Rock Concert from Hell stopped banging in her head. The young girl poked at her armor as the young girl sat on the bed next to her.

"Mom... her boobs are sagging." Masane blushed at this as she cleared her throat. "Riko..." Asagi looked down at the girl. Concerned she saw Aoi being worked on.

"This is your offspring?" Asagi felt uncomfortable.

"No..." Riko said sadly. "Mom..." She pointed at Masane. "...raised me after the great quake..." Masane looked uncomfortable at this. "My Bio... Logic… Mommy. Ms. Rena..." Asagi moved to her side as she crossed her leg over her knee to give Rihoko some room. "She got custody of her for a little while, but she gave me back to mommy after she safe me from the scary lady with multi colored hair. Mom... Fought her and monsters off with her powers."

"So... Masane is not your Mom, but she adopted you?" Rihoko was a little uneasy with this as she nodded. Aoi winced through the last of the pain as she discovered that Rihoko looked familiar to her, just that she couldn't place the face.

"How did you get your powers? Like Mom did or..." Asagi decided to change back. Rihoko studied her. She seemed a bit out of place, these weren't her clothes. The cheesy black t-shirt and the super fluffy yellow skirt she was wearing gave her little mobility to function in combat with. Rihoko just reached up to Asagi and cupped a boob in her small hand. Asagi pulled back unsure what this small underdeveloped creature wanted. "Mom... This is going to happen to your boobs if you don't start wearing a bra." The girl glared her mom down as Rihoko heaved one of Asagi's breasts up and down to emphasize her point. Masane was embarrassed by this as she moved over to her daughter. Asagi raised her hand to stop Masane in her tracks.

"Rihoko..." Asagi spoke slowly to the girl as she studied the child. The bracelet on the girls' arm was a faux version of the Witchblade. "May I study your blade?" Masane suddenly realized what the bracelet on Rihoko's wrist was. Asagi grinned as she took the girl's wrist and matched it against her own. Rihoko noticed that she had the same type of jewelry on her wrist as her mom, it looked different, but the general form was there. Then Asagi flexed her wrist and claws emerged from her hand. Then Back, then claws. Rihoko looked happy at this.

"Asagi..." Aoi was now standing, the Red Jumpsuit she was wearing made her look just out of place. "I don't think we should anger the little one..." Rihoko looked at the silver haired girl and Aoi gulped.

"Why are you scared of me?" Rihoko said concerned as Aoi ducked behind Masane. Asagi realized that Aoi had another secret and it was about to blow.

"You are Amaha Masane's daughter..." Aoi hid more. That was when Masane decided to fish some more details out of Aoi.

"Soho Reina, Neo-Gene." Masane got a gulp from behind her. "Maria." Gulp again. Masane was on the right path. "Death..." Moan... "Murder..." Loud gulp... Manane exhaled. "You involved."

"_no..._." the words were just above a whisper. Masane turned around and hugged the girl.

"It's okay... you can tell me a little later..." Masane grinned and let Aoi start to cry.

"Mom, what is up?" Rihoko said as she watched the scene unfold. Masane exhaled and looked back towards her daughter.

"Just that one of Mommy's new friends has seen some things that make her scared." Rihoko looked worried.

"Like monsters?" Aoi got scared.

"Yes, Rihoko... Monsters." Masane watched as Rihoko got off of the bed and walked over to Aoi and hugged her.

"Don't worry, My Mom fights monsters all the time, they won't harm you." Aoi just cried.

* * *

TBC

* * *

More on Aoi, Reiji, and Shiori next chapter.


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12: History of things, and New Beginnings.

* * *

I wish to thank Daniel/RPG who as my proofreader helped me to clean up this story and fill in some of the plot holes, and he did help me work out the research for many of the organizations in this chapter.

Thanks,

* * *

Masane just sat in the break room of Reiji's new place of employment. It looked to be some sort of corporate think tank or some testing facility that she had been in when learning to use the Witchblade. Aoi just sat before her with the cup of American made, feau Chinese flavored tea juice before her.

"We Neogenes were, well my current generation of Neo Genes are..." Aoi was trying to tell things in the right order, but Masane decided to let Yuusuke Tozawa and Reiji do the questioning. "Isolated." Aoi started slowly. As more information started to flow out of Aoi, Masane was glad that Yuusuke was recording this on a digital video camera. Though he hated the electronic stuff, this one-time exception would make a difference in what flowed onto the 300 GB SDD Hard drive.

"Father" Furimizu-chan..." A pause was used to change the context from family to known acquaintance. "...sama. I am a Third Generation Neo Gene. We were born of our older sisters." Aoi kept talking as Masane listened to what Furumizu did to these girls. The incest and cloning attempts she knew of but this was scary how Aoi was describing the life of a Neo-Gene.

When Furumizu saw success he tended to get lazy given the information Masane was hearing. With each generation he had a few successes like Reina who was the mother to the Neo Gene Maria, Aoi's love. Generation Two were used as breeders to make his Neo human race. Then the brainwashing, artificial maturation drugs, and sexual exploitation that he put these girls through made Masane's blood boil when she learned that Aoi was just a few years younger than her daughter. Between the facts this girl was just still a child and what Furumizu had done to these girls. No wonder the girls were like pack animals following their master. When Masane heard of what this plans were for Maria during the last days of his life. She gritted her teeth so hard it could be heard by everybody in the room. Furumizu was planning to turn Aoi's lover into a baby factory, no wonder the girl went ballistic on the guy. Add this to the mind fucking Maria and the other Neo Genes had received about their mothers like Reina. No wonder the girl was so dangerous. This was when Reiji broke in and said that Reina was in the process of breaking free of Furumizu when she had been killed by Maria. Aoi nearly vomited on the floor at word of this. A sister free...

Getting the urge to kill Furumizu again, Aoi told that Maria had shanked the bastard to death in front of several sisters after she up and had it with him and performed a coup d'etat. She had been pretty much singled out as the leader of the pack and that is why the other Neo Genes such as Aoi and Asagi had followed her and a scientist named Rie Nishidia who had hit a wall under Furumizu's rules. So Neogenes such as Aoi and Asagi were Generation Three, but what about Generation Four? Would Masane have to be fighting babies...? Masane shuddered as Reiji spoke up at this time.

"Aoi... The organization I work for, IOA, the International Oversight Authority. The NSWF wasn't the only organization who has performed crimes such as what Furumizu has done." Aoi and Masane looked up in shock to these words. "Several years ago a group called CyberData performed the same things, but instead of genetics, they used cybernetics to augment human performance." Aoi felt a little scared at this but Masane got up and sat by the girl and hugged her. "Now, given what you have said, the IOA should be able to aid your sisters in getting a normal life. They have a specialist flying in from the states who has had experience in this particular matter, so if you want to spend some time with her I can set up an appointment." Aoi nodded realizing that she didn't want to lose another sister to what Fa... Furumizu had done to them. Seeing that Masane bore her no ill will about what happened, Aoi hugged her close. With that Masane knew that the girl needed help but Rihoko would probably forgive the girl knowing that she wasn't directly connected with Reina's death.

* * *

Masane sat down in Reiji's office as she started to get the low down of how he got the funds to run a place like this. Watching Aoi on the huge wall mounted monitors play with Rihoko was strange. The girl seemed to have let out a lot of pain talking about what had happened to her under the NSWF.

"So Reiji..." Masane stood looking around at the office and noticed the number of photos of him and Rihoko. This was a much different office than the one at Douji Industries. "From what I got from Yuusuke-san is that after you guys helped fight off the I-Weapons with those units that were in that storage facility, Segawa was able to pull some strings and state that the main reason that you had left the company was that you wanted to protect the people of Japan. That I and the entire X-Con disposal squad were just people who knew about the rogue weapons moving through the streets and were using company resources to stop them. That old Wadou-san, before his mental break was trying to wrestle control of the company's senior board to his point of view. A Bigger and Badder Weapon would mean more profits." Reiji nodded at this.

"I believe you have gotten the short version of it." Reiji sat behind his desk. "Because of the events since the Witchblade teleported Tokyo Tower to this... You called it the Other Realm." Masane nodded at this, she got the feeling that this was going to be something worse than she had thought. "Well the two creatures you described as being Angelus and The Darkness have a long history with the IOA." Reiji paused at this. The IOA was formed by the original G7 Countries then later on the G20 when they all got a briefing on Alien and Super Human threats on the planet." Masane was flabbergasted by this as she slid back in her chair. "Given that their mandate was to keep an eye on the agencies that were charged with protecting this planet, there was some infighting at the beginning as the various agencies hid secrets from each other." Masane shifted around as she watched Asagi lean back reading a book. If Asagi grew her hair out some, she would look beautiful. "Masane..." Reiji shouted at Masane as she turned her attention back to Reiji.

"Sorry, just watching how Rihoko is interacting with the girls." Reiji understood. "Still the mother as ever." He grinned at this. He watched as Aoi rolled the foam Nerf Ball to knock over the hardened foam pins of the bowling game they were playing. "Aoi seems to be taking to Rihoko's apology well enough."

"Yeah... Considering that the girl is probably coming to realize that her entire life was a lie and just took the first few steps to having a normal life." Reiji said remembering Reina.

"So... you were telling me about the early days of the IOA." Masane returned to her seat. Reiji returned to his chair.

"Well considering that various pieces of alien tech and supernatural hardware that have been floating around for centuries. Some of which got buried after the invasion like with the Go'uld or with the Charibum, or the Demonites or some other species wishing to turn Earth into a invasion base." Masane blinked at this.

"So like the Grays of Roswell?"

"The Asgard... Not necessarily..." Reiji leaned back in his chair. "They gave Earth some technology to help protect its self from further alien invasions; one of their scientists got busted performing human abductions and experimentations. From what I heard, Human and his own planetary government threw the book at his scrawny ass." Reiji grinned at this. Masane shook her head in shock.

"So... Anal probe guy is not rotting in jail."

"On a few hundred counts of Sodomy and sexual assault. The people I work for don't joke around when it comes to stuff like this Manane-chan." Reiji was being causal with her which as a major change for him. Had her death shaken him up that much?

"Aliens and monsters cause problems, the people you work for go after them... so given that..." Masane looked at her wrist.

"The Witchblade falls into a category of being a major weapon. There are alien, non-human and human forces vying for it and having to keep it out of trouble is nearly a full time job as you have seen." Reiji turned and transformed the window to his office to a display terminal. Masane grinned at this. Well at least he had pimped this office the same way as his old Douji one. One the screens several alien and human looking species appeared, some looked like your average person, while others. She shuddered at the Worm thingy and the majorly creepy red skinned thingy with sharp teeth and claws. "Now some of these beings are hostile, while a few of them are like everybody else. They mostly consist of a lot of good individuals with a few bad apples mixed into the bunch. Some even live on earth, have families and work at trying to make the universe a nicer place. They even work for the IOA as full members and I have worked with a few developing countermeasures against the X-Cons." Masane nodded. "The specific branch of the organization that I work for is a branch of the IOA called the Cranston Group, they started up back in the early Twentieth century. They consisted of individuals who decided to _socially network_ to use a modern term to take down criminal organizations and fight off threats to humanity. Over the years they have provided behind the scenes support in dealing with world threats by pointing authorities in the right direction and at times preventing existing threats from expanding out of control. Such as the NSWF." Masane nodded at this.

"So these people recruited you and the..." Reiji picked up where she was going.

"The rest of the X-Con retrieval squad who were fired from Douji industries. Yes, Masane-San. By them seeing what I did by aiding in the take down of the rogue weapons system, they have become quite a benefit in allowing me to atone for the sins Douji committed against those hurt by the weapons I helped create." Masane grinned at this.

"So you work for the good guys now..." Masane bit her lip. "Is this for Rihoko?" Reiji nodded and moved out of his chair and walked over to her and knelt before her.

"I'm not just doing this for Rihoko, but I am doing this in your memory." Seeing him take her hand into his own. Masane realized that Rihoko was right. He would make excellent Dad material. She grinned and leaned forward and kissed him.

* * *

Asagi was flipping through the pages of her book as a thud hit the wall next door. She turned and realized that on the other side was Reiji's office. She raised an eyebrow before turning back to her book.

"At least someone is getting some..." She licked her fingers and turned the page and hoped that the next thud wouldn't... Thud... Thud... Streak... "Well at least they are on the floor now." Asagi sighed and continued reading.

* * *

Shiori moaned as she rolled around the sheets. Her body ached in places she didn't know could hurt. She felt sick to her stomach as she rolled over onto her side to put pressure on it. It was like she had gone out and gotten drunk at a party. Shiori shoved her face into the pillow in an attempt to drown out the light that was hurting her eyes. Then her stomach wretched, quickly realizing that she was about to vomit in the bed, she slid her head over to edge and vomited... into a bucket being held by the bed. Age wise Shiori was eleven years old, mentally she was in her late teens, and physically she was in her early twenties. Now when you realize that you have gone on a bender, and feeling that you are not wearing a bra... little less a shirt, and noticing that you are not wearing any other undergarments. One tends to wrap as much bedsheet around one's ass to ensure a level of modesty when you realize the bed you are in is not your own and someone is holding the foresaid vessel containing your stomach contents gives you a pat on the head.

"So you are awake." Shiori swallowed hard as she looked around the bed she was in. The room seemed alive like it was made out of... organic material. Her eyes focused upon a teenaged girl with horns.

"Where am I?" Shiori's breath nearly floored her and the girl.

"Okay... One..." the girl's eyes were tearing from the stench, the girl shoved a goblet into Shiori's hands. "Rinse your mouth out with this." Shiori sipped the goblet of fizzing flower smelling solution. Shiori realized that it was mouthwash as she felt bits of material break loose from her teeth and the back of her mouth as she spit the solution into the bucket. Wiping her mouth with the back of her hand afterwards Shiori had something shoved into her mouth. "Two... Don't swallow... and don't spit it out until I say so." Shiori fought the urge to gag as something moved around her mouth, it took her a moment to realize as her mouth was held shut that it was cleaning her teeth. Shiori nudged it with her tougne, the creature didn't bite, it just... Shiori looked at this horned girl and relaxed while the creature did its work as she got a better look at the room around her. The room was based on Witchblade tech... the bed, the walls, the furniture... Shiori looked down at the bed and poked the stuffing. It jiggled like a waterbed. Shiori noticed that the creature in her mouth was growing lethargic and she held her hand up and let it slither out.

"That creature you put in my mouth... It was a toothbrush wasn't it." The girl nodded. "Okay..." Shiori looked down at the sheets she was wrapped in. "Are the sheets part of the bed?" The girl sat on the bed next to Shiori after she placed the bucket on the floor.

"Hey, the bed was just grown just a few hours ago, so I would suggest that you don't tear the sheets off. I don't know if they have separated yet, so pissing it off might not be the best thing to do." Shiori gulped at the mention of this. Attempting to move out of the bed her body was hit by pain again. "Crap, I need to look at your wound." The girl said pulling at the sheets. Shiori gritted her teeth as the bed sheet was pulled down and she could see a bandage covering her belly, and it was slowly turning red. "Lay back." The girl ordered as Shiori watched as the bandaged were removed. What she saw scared her. There was a hold in her belly.

"Wha... What happened to me?" Shiori was scared seeing this injury before her.

"You were pretty banged up when we found you. I need to use your blade to heal you." The girl reached out and took Shiori's wrist and lines from the girl's armor tapped into her Clone Blade. Then Shiori passed out.

* * *

Shiori woke up and looked down to see that she had been proped up in the bed and other than the fact her waist was covered, she was completely nude.

"Hey there." The same horned girl spoke as she poked at the spot where Shiori had seen the hole in her gut. "I see that that new Clone Blade we gave you is working out well." Shiori was still working over the pain and coldness across her body. Then a man walked in wearing Witchblade or Clone Blade armor.

"So Cleo... How's your patient?" the girl turned and spoke.

"Well considering that I had to talk Angelus into coughing up one of those two Dual Clone Blades that they took off one of those girls that was at Witchblade's trial, Tobias." With this Shiori looked down at her wrist to see that her Clone Blade had been replaced. The blade was completely different; it had a different structure and design to it. Her's had looked like a Question mark, this one... well looked like an eye with teeth. "She is going to be fine. Her insides where on her outside for who knows how long, but see." Cleo pointed towards Shiori's nude belly as Shiori covered her massive breasts with her arms.

"Can I cover up now?" Shiori was reaching down for the covers with one arm. Cleo reached down and the covers moved up to cover Shiori on their own. Pulling her arm free from under the sheets, Shiori looked at this individual. She knew she knew him from somewhere, but.

"Do I know you?" Tobias grinned and moved forward.

"Yeah... You kinda of do. Me, my friend Lucy and her kid found you and several other girls like yourself nude by the edge of Other Realm." Shiori didn't know where that was and got scared as her head hurt. Reina... She was scared covered in blood... Kissed her. Exposing her self to that man and... She put her fingers to her head. He was alive, then he was dead... She was... Wet... Crotch wet... she... and him ... his dead body... Then by the shore... The images assaulted her as she became scared at the realization those were memories and this wasn't a strange dream she was having.

"Where am I, what happened to me?" Shiori was running on pure fear at this time. Cleo reached over and touched her naked shoulder.

"What's your name?" Shiori was looking around at the man, Tobias...then at Cleo...

"Tsuzuki Shiori." Shiori bit her lip noticing she had questions and they had answers.

"Okay, Tsuzuki..." Tobias spoke then Shiori corrected him.

"It's Shiori-San... Tsuzuki is my family name." Tobias nodded.

"Okay Shiori-San. You and several others are in the prison dimension called the Other Realm. I have been here for, uh..." Tobias rubbed his head as he sorted through dates in his head until it came to him. "Seven years."

"Seven Years..." Shiori shot up in the bed. The bed sheet to the living bed had decided to vacuum seal itself to her breasts to keep from being shaken free from her naked body in what it thought was effective coverage of her now moving form. Shiori looked down at this and started to struggle and pull the fabric free from her body. "Damnit..." Shiori pulled yanked and shoved her way out of the bed and fell to the floor nude. Kicking herself up Shiori walked over to Tobias and shoved a finger into his chest. "Okay... Could someone tell me where the hell I am exactly at, why everything looks like it was made from the Witchblade and could someone get me some clothes." With that the Clone Blade on her wrist heard her command and placed armor over her nude form. Looking at the armor, Shiori noticed that it was completely different; it was blue and salmon in color with little axes on it.

"I wish that it looked like my old armor." Then the blade responded forming her Blue armor around her, but it kept her curved ax blade retracted so small that looked like a bracelet on her wrist.

_You like?_ The voice was coming from inside her head. Shiori looked around the room fearing she as going mad.

_Stop spinning around I'm getting dizzy._

"Where are you?" Shiori said aloud, trying to find the voice in her head.

_On your wrist... I'm your new blade... _Shiori stopped moving cold.

"My wrist?" Shiori held up her wrist as the blade peeled back the armor on her hand and used the armored glove of her hand to wave at her. Shiori gulped at that.

_You're scared... so am I... Just don't piss off Grandma and Grandpa... They only let Cleo attach me to you when your old blade tried to kill you again. _

"My Old Blade tried to kill me?" That was when Cleo walked up and put a hand on her shoulder.

"Yes it did. That is why you had a hole the size of a basketball in your gut." Shiori looked down at her now healed skin.

"How did you?" Shiori placed a hand to her head to figure out what to say next. "I thought the blades couldn't be removed without an amputation."

"You better sit down Shiori." Tobias said moving her over to the bed and sitting her down. "We have a lot to tell you." With that Shiori backed up till her legs hit the edge of the bed and flopped down on it and looked up as she realized that there was a lot she didn't know about, but she was going to learn it fast.

* * *

Masane was putting her clothes back on. She was blushing. When was the last time she had done that? Reiji was looking around the room for his shoes.

"Reiji-san." Masane walked barefoot across the carpeted floor to see that his shoe had fallen under one of the small bookshelves and retrieved it. Masane looked out the window as she rolled the brown leather shoe in her hands. Reiji moved over and Masane handed him the shoe. "I know what we did, was." Reiji moved in and kissed her.

"Sudden," Reiji said as he reached over and pulled her close after the kiss. "... After what the two of us have been through. Knowing that the next hour might be our last, has taught me to savor the small things in life." Masane grinned at this.

"Small things uh..." She shifted her weight onto one foot. "So... You don't mind that act like a primate." Reiji pinched her ass.

"Well during sex... you are a goddess." Masane was in shock of this before she got sly.

"Well I love that cute thing you do with your neck when I am glowing like a goddess. Makes you look like a raw gorilla." Masane leaned in and snuggled his neck as she moved away to kiss him on the forehead before heading over and pulling some paper towels out of his desk and some cleaner.

"Masane-Chan." Reiji said as he watched as Masane moved over and started to squirt stain remover onto their love spot.

"Hey... I know how you are such a neat freak so..." Reiji walked over to see Masane cleaning up the mess.

"Masane... you don't have to do that..." Reiji said as he knelt down and started to remove the towel from her hand.

"Reiji..." The two of them understood that they were feeling around being separated for such a long time. Then Reiji reached over and took the can of stain remover and gave the spot a generous spray over the entire love making spot and even then some.

"Masane... I know that I have done my best, but you complete me." Masane was taken back by this.

"I complete you?" Masane said as she looked at the Reiji and he grinned back.

"Yes you complete me Masane-chan." Then looking around at the monitors. "Now let me help you clean up this mess before Rihoko comes in and smells the juices of our love making. The last thing I want to do is have our daughter walk through and touch the spot and have baby batter and pussy juice on her hands." With that disturbing image coming to mind Masane looked around to find the nearest can of antiseptic and started spraying the walls and floors like crazy.

"I agree with you there." Masane said in a near panic seeing Rihoko leave the room next door. "Oh Crap..." Reiji looked up to see what Masane looking at on the monitors.

"What is it?" Reiji noticed that Rihoko was leaving the room. "Okay..." Reiji looked around to see the nearest piece of furniture and shoved it over the stained and stain remover saturated carpet.

"Quick... the disinfectant." Masane said as the can was thrown to her and she heavily doused her hands in the stinging alcohol and iodine based chemical before rubbing her hands on a paper towel. Reiji was spraying the air with air freshener and order neutralizer so the place had a nearly antiseptic smell to it. Then there was a knock on the door.

"Mom... Reiji are you in there?" Masane crossed her fingers as she moved to the door.

"Yes Rihoko... we are here." Masane tried to stay clam as possible. "What do you need?" She waited for what felt like an eternity before Rihoko responded.

"I'm getting hungry." Masane felt relaxed as she opened the door.

"Okay..." Masane said as she knelt down to her daughter's eye level. "How about the three of us get out of here and grab a bite to eat." Rihoko looked around her mom to see Reiji sitting on the piece of furniture that he had moved. Rihoko could tell what was up.

"You two did it, didn't you?" Masane knew better to cover it up. Rihoko could smell a lie a Kilometer away. She winced. "I don't mind Mommy..." She said cheerfully as she let her mom come out of the office. "... I'm just glad that the two of you are making each other happy." Masane knew that the other shoe was going to drop. "Now let's go to the bathroom and wash your hands, you smell like you tried to clean up what you did in there." Masane put a hand to her nose and smelled it. Yeap, she smelled like a recently cleaned bathroom after some mom had to deal with a baby that decided to pee on them during a diaper change. Nothing would get past Rihoko now and possibly in the future.

* * *

Shiori was still in shock. But it was there... What was left of Tokyo Tower...

"Yeah, the Witchblade and its bearer sure did a number on the realm when they crashed that here." Shiori's jaw as on the ground.

"The.. the Witchblade did that?" Shiori was still processing the information in her head. Tobias reached over and touched her shoulder.

"Yes... The Witchblade did that Shiori." Looking over the large wreck of land before her she swallowed hard. She had heard about the Witchblade's power, but to see the results of it... Shiori fell to her knees.

"Whoa..."

"That is an understatement, that and all those automated weapons that were swarming around that had survived the crash. We had a battle and a rescue to pull off at the same time." Shiori turned to see the remains of what looked to be a Douji I-Weapon tank. It had several slices taken out of it that had left it unusable. She reached out and touched the sticky powdery remains that dripped to the ground.

"These things were not used to fighting ceatures like ourselves in such numbers." Tobias said walking up to her. "When we found Witchblade at the top of the Tower, we found remains of what was two other blades and their hosts, they were like yourself." Shiori turned around at this.

"What... Wait... you mean that there are other Clone Blades here such as myself?" Shiori was in shock at this... Seeing the damage... Then the concept that other Neo Genes such as herself had fought in this battle... She started to look around to see if she could recognize any of the battle strikes as being from anyone she knew of...

"Shiori..." Tobias was in a flat out run after her as she surveyed the damage in more detail. "Wait up... you said that you were looking for any other survivors..." Tobias had to nearly tackle her to keep her from moving. Shiori was definately stronger than he was in body mass, but her Blade had decieded to not give her that additional strength it provided. Then he grabbed her by the armored lining of her throat and pulled his face upto her's and yelled. "If you want to see the survivors, I will take you to them..." He vented through his teeth as he let her go. He turned away ashamed. "Sorry, about doing that, but I was desperate." Shiori blinked at him as she looked at this young boy beside her. He didn't want to hurt her. He was over his head, but he was trying his best to give her the information he had.

"Please talk, tell me about everything you know about what happened." Tobias sighed and turned towards her.

"Okay, I think it is high time that you met Angelus and Darkness." Tobias stood up and helped Shiori to her feet.

"So this Darkness and Angelus, the happen to be the leaders here, right?" Shiori said looking at the young boy.

"Yes they are, and the are the parents of the Wtichblade, and most of the environment here around you was created by them out of boardom, they just got tired of looking at flat nothingness." Shiori looked around at the terrain, then at herself after Tobias had said this. She was with the people who had created the Witchblade itself... If there were any answers one wanted about the Witchblade and how it worked, well she was at the source now. Then the Scientist kicked in. What would Riena do if she meet the ones who crated the Witchblade, she would have some list. Something to use to as a list to keep track of the answer to the large questions they had about it.

"Okay, take me to these leaders." Shiori winced at this. She did sound like some cheesy alien invader. Tobias grinned at this.

"Well you are atleast human and yes, I will take you to my leaders." Tobias slapped a hand on her back and started to walk with her through the now seeminly womb-like terrain.

* * *

Masane blinked a few times entering the IOA Mess Hall. Reiji had told her about the aliens, but seeing them was a completely different thing, well seeing a large black armored claw creature chewing on what looked to be a bucket of brown soy sauced dripped ramen while reading a copy of International Science Review. Masane thought first that it it was some guy in a suit, but when the creature got up and had the various panels that made up his armor shift around in ways that no human in a suit could do, she was in shock. As she looked around she saw beings that were like the ones she had seen on Reiji's monitors.

"It's true... you do work with aliens." Manane looked around more. She could have had lunch with Rihoko in this place in full Witchblade regalia and she wouldn't have gotten a second look. There as a reptile guy in a suit drinking a glass of water with a fely of fish. A furry creature munching down on a large bowl of fruit. She half expected some worm looking creatures to walk by with an entire cappachino machine or a group of turtle creatures in bandanas and surf gear to have a entire extra large pizza covered in breakfast cereal.

"So... you have seen some of my co-workers." Reiji said as he moved Masane and the girls over to the nearest free table. Asagi and Aoi who had joined this group were a bit nervous as they looked around the room. Several of the Humans among these aliens didn't mind the strangeness of their coworkers. Aoi gulped a few times at what she saw on a plate and noticed that it was moving. Even the Stoic Asagi looked in surprise at some of the ceatures even as one sat down behind her to eats its food.

"I'll um see what they have on the menu." Reiji said reaching out to grab a menu and flipped to the section that was written in Japanese. Masane kicked herself as she looked at Asagi and Aoi's reactions... and winced really hard.

"Reiji..-san..." Masane noticed a woman wearing an orange pair of coveralls sat at the next table. "I think we forgot to tell Asagi and Aoi about your co-workers." Reiji turned to look at the two girls and understood in full horror what he had forgotten to do with the two Neo Gene girls.

* * *

If you caught the Star Gate references throughout the chapter, I commend you.

Next more on the IOA and Shiori finally meets Angelus and Darkness.

Please stay tuned,

Review and comments accepted...

Post and e-mail now for updates

Hearns


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13: The Facts as they are

* * *

Note: This is a Shiori heavy chapter…

A big thinks goes out to RPG who proof read this chapter over and to all the work we both did in looking over each others stuff.

Now I have to go do some more writing and place an order of flowers to be sent to his Muse.

Dude, you owe me fifty bucks for the flowers. Just be glad she didn't ask for unmentionables.

Hearns

* * *

Shiori looked at the figures before her, and immediately felt an incredible feeling of surrender. All she could bring herself to do was prostrate herself. That was all she felt preventing herself from wanting to shed her armor and present her naked body before these beings so they might be able to do whatever they wished to her.

That's when the Angel moved over to her and said some words that snapped her back to reality.

"You are drooling." The glowing golden woman chided as Shiori shook her mind free of the cobwebs.

"Sorry, my lady." Shiori wiped her mouth a few times to ensure that any drool wouldn't hit the floor belonging to these….dare she say it...

…..Gods?

"So you are one of the creatures that bear the mark of the Trespass."

Shiori didn't know what to say.

"Furumizu did create you and others of your kind?"

Shiori just nodded. What did Father have to do with this?

"Rise..."

Shiori moved to her feet and the Angel took her by the hand and the dark armored male that was apparently her mate followed with them.

"Do you know of the crimes that your creator committed against us?" said the dusky looking male. Shiori shook her head no as they walked her over to a table made out of a surface that seemed to be alive.

"We shall show you." said Angelus as she touched the table.

* * *

_Long ago... there was the void. Nothingness... No form, no substance. 'Then came the event you call the Big Bang...In that explosion were born creatures of such power that you would call loosely Gods... But essentially they were just the keepers of the great cosmic clock. Over the Eons they kept things in working order, and eventually they had beings who kept the finer details of that very clock going. As you go down to those finer levels you get beings such as us. We are the keepers of those finer details of keeping that cosmic clock going._

Shiori blinked a few times as the images of the universe flowed before her.

_At times creatures such as us worked together in harmony at times, while other fought in battles that would make your darkest nightmares seem tame._

Shiori had to fight back the urge to vomit at some of the images.

_Shiori, look at the images... You wished to learn, you must learn so that you learn of the Trespass, and while it is a stench to us. _

"Trespass..." Shiori whispered quietly, worry creasing her face as she swallowed hard at this and looked back at the images.

_The beings such as the Darkness and the Angelus were complete opposites of each other. Angelus representing order, the Darkness representing chaos. They warred and quarreled over things, but at times they loved the battle, given the human adage opposites attract, they fell forward towards their passions._

Shiori watched at as younger versions of Darkness dueled and fought and in the weird way participated in what looked like really rough sex. They laughed as they felt pleasure flow between them. Then the images of a creature came about. It bore aspects of both Darkness and Angelus. Shiori didn't know who or what that thing was but, seeing where this was going she knew it was important.

_Out of a moment of passion was created a creature of balance, harnessing the need for chaos needed when there was too much order to prevent atrophy, and the desire for order when chaos neared the urge for total destruction. The child's name was Witchblade._

Shiori immediately took note of this.

_Given Witchblade's dual nature the child wanted more and thus decided to head towards the mortal world._

Shiori watched as the Witchblade entered the mortal realm via a meteor. Then she saw Witchblade's first host as the blade wrapped itself around her. Though the woman looked like she was just wearing animal skins she sensed that this was an ancestor.

_Finding that it was male, it could bond with the female of the species, in which it found companionship._

Shiori watched as the Blade moved from bearer to bearer over the centuries, always women. Sometimes moving from Mother to Daughter.

_Strength, desire, battle, power and most of all the need to keep the world in balance._

Shiori watched as several figures flow by, many of them were historical. Joan of Arc, Boudicca, Cleopatra, and Madam Curie.

_But whenever a being seeks to bring balance to the world, there come those who seek to use its powers for their own ends._

A series of faces flowed by of individuals who attempted to use this power, among these were many historical figures, and out of those were some of the vilest people that were to ever to exist. Just their names being mentioned were enough to make Shiori's blood run cold.

_As time has progressed on, Mankind has slowly started to gain the knowledge of the Gods... But with his immaturity and excitable temperament, he has often used it to wage war or cause blasphemies against the holy order of the universe. _

Shiori watched as various tools of mankind's creation were twisted to unspeakable means, the Knife, Fire, Agriculture, Animals, going on up to genetics, atomics, and even medicine. Then what scared her was the image of a baby being grown in a vat. It was a girl... Then more images sped forward as the Witchblade was shown under glass in a lab.

_When mankind learned to create life... there would be consequences._

Shiori watched as the girl was taught to kill, shoot, stab, murder without remorse.

_The Neo Genes were created off of the warrior blood that allowed the Witchblade to have a host in the mortal world. Furumizu in his quest to create the perfect mother, used the castoffs as his vessels for his abominable goals and as servants for his ignoble cause, playing God and perverting the truth of the body to serve his own interests._

Shiori tried to pull herself away from the table but was stopped as two pairs of hands grabbed her and forced her back.

_Shiori… you are one of these creatures… _

Shiori was shown the images of her fears… Her going over the edge during the battle with the Witchblade. Reina having to slap her to bring her to her senses… Then the… Injury from the Witchblade the one that didn't… Heal. Shiori reached up to touch her shoulder and commanded her blade to remove itself so she could see… There was a slight blemish there, she poked it, though it didn't look like a scar, it was there… Shiori forced herself to watch as. Oh… God… Her dream wasn't a dream, it was a memory… She …. She… Between the urge to vomit at seeing the deaths by her hands… She saw that she was a monster… A carnal monster that was on par with an ExCon… then… The Witchblade and the fight… The Witchblade stopped her… What scared her more was the look on the Witchblade bearers face after the fight… She was sad… Then… what happened to her body… She vomited.

_Shiori… you witnessed what you did with the power; part of it was the fault of your blade. You showed that you were still human._

"_Doctor… Doctor… What is happening to me?"_

Shiori turned to see herself covered in blood and begging for Reina to save her…

_You wanted to live as the blade you bore at the time possessed you and tapped into your carnal desires… On some level you wanted to be stopped. For that you will live._

Shiori turned to see images of the events of Reina after her death looking for answers of why the Clone Blade had gone bad on Shiori. This work consumed her. The picture of herself was on Reina's desk…

"Doctor..." Shiori threw herself at the image at the table in a vain attempt to feel her love close to her body.

_Not all your sacrifice was in vain. Because of you, your precious Riena learned of the crimes against your sisters and was on the verge of discovering the extents of his crimes when she learned that the child she long ago thought was dead reentered her life. Her time with this child would be short lived._

Shiori reached out and felt her body wretch as she watched as father took one of the third generation Neo Genes and slowly twist her mind to where she was fanatical about finding and meeting her Mom. The most disturbing thing was that Father was using Reina's own Neo Gene daughter to become jealous when she learned that Riena already had a daughter living with her. The girl who had been raised by the current bearer of the Witchblade for many years since the Great Quake. When the girl learned of this, she went berserk. It didn't help to add that the girl was equipped with the Third Generation of the Clone Blade.

_Reina learned the truth of being a mother. Something that Furumizu feared. A mother will fight to the death to protect her child. Before she could confront him. Fate prevented her from take that action. _

Shiori watched as Riena and the little girl ran as Reina's daughter transformed into her Clone Blade form. Shiori shook in fear as she watched as this creature who made her worse atrocities look tame hunted down her love and the child. Then she saw the ExCons gathering when they sensed that power… So many… Then the car became stuck… Shiori screamed for the car to move but seeing that it was raining. Riena got out of the car and decided to face this girl down… She was outclassed… And the ExCons… The girl after Riena had left had fled into the woods to hide… Then a man found her… A reporter… Wait… the Witchblade with him…

"Riena… The Witchblade is there… She can help you…" Shiori screamed out at the images praying to every deity she knew of to help her love. Then Furumizu's weapon found them. Shiori cried as she saw how her Riena fought for her life… But in the end lost to the feral, well armed animal. What she noticed was that Riena forgave the girl after the battle. She was just a victim of Furumizu's actions. For that, the love for her father was quickly waning and her love for Riena was waxing ever more. The more she watched, the more she understood what was going on. The girl was found by the bearer of the Witchblade and Reina's ex-husband had been given custody of the child as Reina turned to a transparent statue.

_Reina's actions would put the bearer of the Witchblade on a course to take on those who committed the Trespass against the cosmic order of things. _

Shiori watched as she saw the Witchblade's bearer learn more about Furumizu and his crimes. Before Shiori found the urge to call out for the Witch Blade to end his life, it was taken by the very girl that he had turned into a weapon. Reina's replacement had seen through the false hope that Furumizu had placed on his creations and had sided with the girl. Seeing that this woman would continue the trespass her fate and that of her coconspirator were tied together as they attempted several times to remove the Witchblade from its bearer. At the end the woman was slain by an Ex-Con tank rolling over her vehicle after her assistant had sense enough to get out and run. Her Douji counterpart fell into madness as the allies of the Witchblade waged war against the remaining Ex-Cons. The now insane girl and two of her cohorts tried to take down the Witchblade but were stopped by the woman who was trying to protect the child who she had raised for years. Then it was laid out before her, the fall of the Tokyo Tower into this realm… She had only seen the aftermath of the battle, but to see it was a completely different thing.

_The Witchblade found a way to punch through the barrier that is our prison here and brought forth itself, its bearer, and several of your sisters. We learned much from the memories of those brought here. When the Bearer tried to save the lives of those who once fought to get the Witchblade, we learned much of your kind._

Shiori became concerned about this.

_Though a mortal creation, your kind has great potential given that make you desire to become more. To become warriors in that you have found your humanity, though buried by a madman, it was still there._

Shiori wondered what was going to happen next.

_As the Witchblade recovered, we sought out the nearest nest of your kind and brought them here to be reconstructed and repaired from the damage wrought upon you._

Shiori saw images of her sisters in the process of being wiped clean by the more fanatical of her kin. Those personnel loyal to Furumizu had turned against their other Sisters, slaughtering them like animals a sight that forced Shiori to clasp her hands over her mouth to keep from screaming...

Then, flashes of light appeared amidst the carnage, and her sisters who were in peril were transported the same way that the Witchblade had been able to teleport Tokyo Tower.

_The one named Aoi presented her fears and the knowledge of those who had fallen to this madness. Because of her we were able to learn of the location of this nest of your kind. Many of those we deemed to be able to be saved were brought here. Even those who had fallen to the kind known as ExCons were resurrected. When we put the Witchblade and its bearer on trial, the bearer presented a sound case for its return to the mortal world. The rest of your kind was spared. Now Shiori, a decision must be made by you and your sisters. That of where your loyalties will lie._

Shiori understood now that there was going to be a decision made about her and the others. She decided that she would have to learn the facts from the only source she knew of at the time. Her sisters.

Would they want to return, after all the pain they had experienced during their time in the living world?

There was only one way for her to find out.

"I want to see my sisters first."

With that, Angelus and Darkness agreed to her simple request. Shiori hoped that if she had the support of the others, then this entire loyalty issue could be dealt with, and cross her fingers that she could return to the real world.

Maybe with Reina-sama at her side.

* * *

**IOA Main Command, Location: CLASSIFIED**

Several individuals sat in a room, many of which were known to each other, some by reputation, others by title only. But names were of less importance than the message that they were to present to the other members of this august body.

The Director of Home World Security (HWS) spoke first, "We are all gathered here in response to the reappearance of the second half of the Witchblade. Witchblade BETA. Given that the current status of the organization known as the Thirteen have yet to make reappearance, given Witchblade BETA's return, it's only a matter of time till they do."

His colleague, the Director Superhuman Affairs (DSA) agreed, "Yes. Given that the coup that occurred seven years ago by Lord Migura and those who followed him, it caused quite a shake up among the superhuman communities.

After him, the Cranston Group Director: Yes, given current intelligence, his operatives have apparently been scouring any and all compounds that the Douji group and the NSWF have used.

The DSA director: Yes, and those Clone Blades that have shown up on the grid in Japan, China, Hong Kong, Vietnam, Australia, and New Zealand over the last six months since the attempted purge by the hardliners of Furumizu's operation.

Now, the IOA Director: Many of those that we've found have asked for deprogramming and protection.

Cranston: Yes, and several have asked to join the IOA as agents.

Superhuman Affairs: Do you believe that they will be able to handle the psychological profile assessment?

Cranston: I believe that most will, but given that we will have to deal with the fact that many of them are still children and will be need some serious social training to handle reintegration back into ordinary society.

Home World Security: Well the more information that we possess on them, the better, but given that Lord Migura might want to find out what they know about Darkness and Angelus…

There was a pause throughout the room.

IOA: We understand that given that Witchblade Beta and Alpha might encounter each other in the future, I believe that we should give them both a full briefing on the Witchblade's past.

Cranston: Considering that Witchblade's BETA has a lover working currently under our employ, we should be able to get more detailed information out of her about how and why she was able to return.

Home World Security: Yes, and given that Angelus and Darkness have been somewhat at each other's throats for centuries from the documentation we have been able to dig up from various historical sources such as our contact within the Vatican. Yes. The more detailed information we have on the current status of the Thirteen and why they haven't taken actions against the Witchblade over the past fifteen years would be most helpful.

There was a nod of agreement throughout the room.

All: Agreed.

Cranston: We will see what our contact has on the two Clone Blades that were returned with the Witchblade and get information about what defense have been established via the NSWF on their computer system so we get more facts about the crimes Furumizu committed against these kids. If we have another CyberData, the best thing that we can do is get these kids deprogrammed and functional.

There was agreement once again.

Home World Security: Agreed. I want updates on what is learned and as soon as you learn those passwords, I want those systems accessed. We have had those facilities locked down since the Tokyo lockdown, and the attempted purge; now we want hard facts, and those computers contain the facts we need.

Cranston: Once we get those passwords, those systems will spill their guts to us.

* * *

Selene Porter was walking through the archives of Warehouse 47. It was that time of year for the bi-yearly inventory of the material that the IOA had been able to get their hands on over the years. This time it was the inventory of the Clone Blades that had been confiscated from the raid on the primary NSWF research facility. The number of gauntlets they had located was incredible. It was like someone had decided to spam this thing more times than some pirating web ring deciding to cloning copyrighted music.

Selene sighed as she slowly started to do a visual inspection of the boxes that contained these mystical objects. The main reason that she got placed on this duty was that she was a) not human (Being born a Dhampir: a Human/Vampire Hybrid), b) mystical objects tended to avoid her kind (weird mystical mojo protection stuff beings like her put off), c) she was observant as hell. So, as she opened the first shelf that contained the inactive Witchblades, she was in for the shock of her life.

The box was empty. Doing a quick check on the computer inventory, she found that something should be there. Playing a hunch she started to open various containment shelves in random order.

Moments later, she hit the panic button by the door.

They were empty. And the logs said that they should be full.

Her bosses were NOT going to like this.

* * *

Masane was sitting outside and was looking at the waves go by outside. This was information overload.

Okay, aliens were real.

_Check._

Secret Multinational agency that fights evil bad guys.

**_Check_**.

Super-natural creatures capable of bringing back the dead.

_Multiple **Check **on that._

Boyfriend working for said good guys, Check.

….

….

….wait, shouldn't that be higher on the list?

"Trying to grasp the moment?" Reiji queried as he sat down next to her.

Masane nodded at this.

"Trust me... took me a day or so right after I met old Big Ed."

Masane gave him the Uh... look on her face.

"The big black segmented walking manta ray guy that was eating ramen with his hands."

"Oh, him..." Masane blinked a few times, still trying to process this information.

"Listen Masane-san..." Reiji looked out at the ocean to see the waves past and slap across the concrete moorings outside of the warehouse that was the base for his current employers. "We've both entered into a world that a few months ago neither of us knew about."

Masane nodded at this.

"You just learned about fifteen minutes ago that aliens exist on the planet. Six hours ago, you were dead. And seven months ago, you didn't know that you had super powers. Imagine what you will know by tomorrow."

Masane thought she had heard this line somewhere, but couldn't place it. "Masane... The people I work for want to know what you know and what you have been through. Little details might help us prevent another disaster."

Masane reached out to him, "Reiji...can that wait till tomorrow? I just want to get used to being alive again."

He smiled at this.

"I agree with you there, Masane." Reiji leaned forward and kissed her, much like husband kisses his loving wife. Which was usually Reiji's way of saying he was looking forward to romp in the sheets.

"So... Your place or mine?" was Masane's response, definitely smelling what th-….Reiji was cooking.

Reiji grinned at this.

* * *

Shiori walked into the chamber before her. She was half expecting the worst. But this place looked like some scene out of some harem anime. The layer of totally nude girls as far as the eye could see really creeped her out.

Some of the older girls looked a more than a little self conscious, a few of the younger ones...well, she remembered the age she was at when she and a few of her sisters went clothing optional and played with their toys. But most were just trying to figure out where they were. What made her stop cold was one girl who was sitting in a corner who was crying hard. Legs up to her chest, feet crossed, face buried against her knees. The girl's dark hair reminded her of Riena. Shiori walked over and sat down next to her, placing an arm over the girl's shoulder.

"Are you okay?" Shiori asked softly. The girl shook her head and buried her face deeper into her knees. Shiori hugged the girl, but the girl pulled away from her and avoided her face. Reaching out to pull the dark hair away from the girl's face Shiori gasped when she saw who it was. It was the girl who had killed Furumizu.

"Are you here to punish me?" cried the girl, tears running down her face and cringing as she saw the lady in armor approach her.

Shiori reached out and hugged the girl, much to her surprise. Like Reina had been her life line in her darkest moment, she felt she had to become the same for this girl.

"No, I'm not here to hurt you." As she said this, Shiori pulled the girl towards her and dropped her armor. "I'm a friend of your mother's.

That, apparently, was all it took for the girl to cling onto her for dear life."

"Does my Mom hate me for what I did?"

To that, Shiori just decided to gently hold the child, letting her relax as she answered softly,

"What do you think you did wrong? I've seen what you done, and I don't think you were to blame." Shiori said remembering the images of the damage this girl had wrought upon the one who had harmed her. The girl clutched onto Shiori's naked flesh and snuggled into the softest part of her body: Her breasts. Shiori didn't mind the girl's actions remembering what Reina had done for her when she had be snapped out of a Blade induced rage. Shiori stroked the girl's hair as she slowly started to calm down. Shiori decided that leaning against the wall with the two of them would help the time go by. Looking out at the other girls in the room, several turned to watch her and saw with wonder as she slowly let this broken little girl heal in her arms.

* * *

Daemon searched through all records about this Witchblade bearer. Though there were several leads pertaining to a one, Masane Amaha. There was no data, or minimal data on the other two pulled out of the records from the present media available to Deamon's roving automated bot programs.

Performing a search of the camera logs taken the night of the last appearance of this Witchblade files pointed towards information that there was a third individual linked with the latter. Performing a scan, it looked for the facial features of this individual. Then the traffic system picked up the face of this individual exiting a department store followed by a buxom woman with long bond hair. All it needed was to see the license plate on the vehicle.

A quick run through the department of motor vehicles had identified the owner as being a fleet vehicle belonging to the NSWF (Nippon State Well-Fare). A quick boolean search pin pointed a Scandal involving the NSWF's former head as well its link to Douji Industries weapons development. With a further scan, Masane Amaha had been linked with visits of both the Douji group and the NSWF. Files had been sealed, but a quick inquiry identified Amaha as being employed with Douji group operations, with financial records stating she had been employed as a research scientist by the pay stubs on her checks. With all facts and information declaring that the NSWF had the most data on all individuals involved, Daemon made the logical choice to find the nearest server and investigate.

Given that Daemon was able to be many places at once; it was able to find that all access to the records of the NSWF had been limited since the scandal had broken out. Most of the information that Daemon had been able to fish through had been provided by other Member of the Thirteen. Performing a search on all available outlets and facilities associated to the NSWF that the Thirteen had not been able to breach or search through, it stared a low level hack attack to narrow down which servers had the most important information. Hitting all the outside peripheral account terminals took merely seconds, but yielded just name, child situation and family facts and a minimal psychological profile about Masane Amaha and her daughter. It needed more information, so it performed a data dive on the main systems of the corporation that held the larger database.

Knowing that it would be detected, Daemon programmed several thousand smart phones in the Tokyo area that had terminal access abilities to start randomly hitting the appointed servers with login requests. Knowing that the most secure systems would be placed behind the most complex security computer barriers, it waited to see what the counterattack would be. It didn't take long as the computer administrator started to lock down the more secure systems to prevent access. In doing so, he had announced his location.

Searching the IP addresses, Daemon found his targets. The main NSWF compound by the coast that was labs and offices for the "cult"; and the smaller NSWF Compound outside the city where the main NeoGene training and housing had been carried out. Making a ping on these two servers to see the level of protection that would spring up in defense around these systems, Daemon waited for the next move to occur. When the system that had the most security tossed up around it appeared Daemon sat back and watched as the number phones it had sent through its first cyber attack got fried by the security countermeasures: Well, Primary target was identified. Announcing its intentions to the Tactical Android, it changed the course of the Hummer and directed it to the smaller NSWF facility. It was going to have to perform a direct assault on the system to get the information it needed as it started to scan blueprints, floor plans, and any and all satellite images it was able to gather from the buildings construction process. The Included information contained everything Daemon could find from thermo and neutrino satellite imagery, the complete layout of the compound was presented to the Android. Daemon worked in a strategy to get the data system the fastest while preventing anyone from locking the system down.

The computer based creature decided to take a cue from an old video file it had found years ago. The Turkan-Mongol Timur was right. Sometimes the fastest way between two points is straight line, even in an impermeable fortress.

* * *

Next: Chapter 14: Entry Point

The Lull is coming to an end, now action is coming up.

Preview.

* * *

What was this thing? It just kept coming at her.

* * *

"Sir, we called you in because of this." The officer in charge pointed at the computer monitors around the IT room. The following words were flashing across the screens:

DAEMON IS BACK

* * *

Please Review...


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter 14: Entry Point

* * *

Things had been quiet since the Federal authorities had sealed off the building, but Furumizu's followers had their own way to get into the structure. The police had made sure that no one was able to get near the place without going through a series of checkpoints and a maze of barriers. No one had thought that a small sewer entrance would be the back door into this compound. That is when a few of Furumizu's followers knew was that someone else had found that back door into the compound.

With a crash, the old American made Hummer crashed into the lobby of the NSWF facility, the two police officers on duty quickly wondering how someone had gotten in, but as they got near the vehicle they noticed that there only a Mannequin dummy propped up behind the wheel. Quickly searching the large SUV for any explosive agents they noticed that several pods had fallen from the bottom and looked to be empty as if something had been in them but no longer was. Unknown to them a series of small tube shaped robots had slowly started to roll across the floor. The over a hundred of these little robots followed their programming and rolled into patters out from the SUV to the security station and beyond into the building. One of these robots stopped by the video monitors and slowly started to feed the video to Daemon, while another started to access all of the security systems for doors, fire, electrical, water, and liquid nitrogen. That last one caught Daemon's attention and it followed the lines throughout the structure to see what needed that much coolant.

* * *

Kagura watched as she and Herro slowly started to work on the files. They needed to destroy the evidence. For Father's memory. They had used the secret entrance into the complex. Their associates had made sure to bribe just the right officials to keep the unseen maintenance tunnel off of any official records. Between the number of security barriers that were in place, it was good that they were not going to be noticed. By the time that anyone had learned of what happened here tonight, they would be long gone and the finger pointing would begin.

Then the Alarms went off.

Kagura tapped a few controls on the computer terminal to see what was happening. The last thing they needed was for someone to walk in on them. Looking at the window showing the current security feed it looked like someone had crashed an old American built Hummer into the front of the main lobby. Whatever was going on would mean that police and lots of them. Kagura got on her radio and called out to her spotter who was keeping an eye on escape entrance.

"Surgeon to Nurse... Surgeon to Nurse... Are you there?" Kagura's voice waited for a response.

There was nothing for a moment, then a chirp... Then... Beep, the static...

Something was up.

Then the video feed went dead.

Then there was the sound of gunfire outside. Pulling up her wrist, she activated her Cloneblade.

"Keep working... See if you can get to the backups!" Herro nodded as she got out of chair and headed towards the air lock door.

* * *

What people don't usually know about their computers is that every part of it gives off a unique radio frequency. The Monitor, Speakers, Keyboard, and even the mouse all carry a unique frequency to them and this is just the stuff that is hard-wired into your computer. Now if the unit is wireless, well those Radio frequencies are all over the place. Basically for those wireless units they are sending out a set of tones to a little antenna that translates it to computer code. Now, if you have more than one transmitter working on the same frequency you can literally ghost the commands to the receivers.

Frequency hacking is basically this. Creating a ghost keyboard somewhere while someone is away from it and typing command into it via remote. Now if you have ever had someone go in over the internet and do a few tweaks on your computer whenever you contact tech support well they are accessing the same computer codec line of code to take over your computer. In this case, think of someone having two remote controls in a room while you are watching TV, you have one remote and another person has the super multifunction remote they bought at Radio Shack. Since both remote are tuned to the same TV, and one decides to change the channel they can, but you can also hit mute with your own.

What Herro didn't know as that despite being inside of a sealed air lock tight room? The room still needed be cooled by vast amounts of Air Conditioning. And with the right technology, you can sniff the Radio Frequency key strokes off a keyboard from a good distance say, ten meters away. Now When Herro put his login and user ID into the computer, a nice little RF antenna attached in a little dome that was hooked to a pack of nice little tube robots who were reading every little keystroke he made.

Conversely, the same technology can be used to send a signal to the foresaid keyboard to do something such as hitting and holding the backspace key to clear out a line of code. Well the look on Herro's face was of shock when he heard the words mere inches from his ear as he was about to hit the enter key to delete the second and tertiary backups of the computer mainframe:

_"Have you danced with the Devil in the pale moonlight?"_

Spinning around to see who was standing behind him only to see nothing a room full of servers.

"Hello..." Herro called out as he moved away from terminal trying to see if there was anyone in there. When he moved away from the terminal the computers started to work by their own as they started to perform various lines of codes and procedures to restore the deleted files. The tap of traction soles of shoes could be heard on the ground as it rounded another array of servers. Herro followed the steps around the panels around the room.

With the human presence distracted the little robots worked quickly: changing passwords, user ids, user access, computer network connectivity and clock speeds. Quickly as the human made a corner to look back at the monitors, a screen capture was displayed on the screen to prevent eavesdroppers from thinking anything had changed. Once Herro went through another set of server rows, a voice was heard again. This time it sounded like a child's.

_"You know you shouldn't be doing this..."_

"Who the hell are you?" Herro said as he got a nice punch in the kidney and he fell to his knees. He came to realization that he wasn't alone in this room. That was when he also realized that he didn't have his radio with him as he slowly felt his nose start to bleed.

* * *

Kagura was standing by the doorway, in her Cloneblade armor she looked like a major threat. That and the very large gun with a silencer she had in her hands. They had heard shots from outside.

Had their team been compromised?

She spoke into the radio,

"Surgeon to Nurse... Surgeon to Nurse. …..Tagaashi, you dope... speak up!"

Nothing. Nothing but static.

She looked around. Something was up and she didn't like it. The she heard footsteps, and then in the shadows she saw a figure come out of the shadows then duck back quickly, like they were concerned that they had been spotted by her. She clicked the radio a few times to speak into it but heard a moan over it.

_"Owwww... Nurse to Surgeon..."_ the voice spoke over the radio...

"Surgeon here, respond..." Kagura spoke into the radio but suddenly her felt like it was on fire and she was forced to drop the radio. Then that was when she heard the shots and took cover on the other side of the hallway. Given that her armor could take a lot of damage, instinct took over and she hauled her ass to the other side.

She turned to see the radio shattered to pieces all across the floor. The realization that whomever was shooting at her was good enough to made a shot like that had been pretty damn close to lethal.

* * *

Herro felt a painful throbbing sensation in his abdomen as he got up. Then he got punched across the face.

"People don't like folks breaking into places." Another punch, this time to the kidney, which sent Herro sprawling to the floor.

"FIGHT!" was yelled into Herro's ears as he braced himself against another blow against his body from his unseen attacker.

This time it was across the back of his head.

* * *

Kagura heard a shot gun being clicked back from the number of times she had heard it countless movies and on American crime shows. Then she saw a barrel swung across the wall and light was shown in her face.

"Sir... we have a female subject in Witchblade armament." Kagura decided to fire off a few rounds. Her armor would protect her, the rest of the Blades' ability would protect her from the small arms fire but if they had a... a slam equivalent of a minigun pounded into her. She was flung down the hallway; the buzzing sound could be heard throughout the entire hallway. Quickly realizing that she was out gunned, she retreated to get some distance hopefully she could pick them off one at a time.

* * *

Daemon studied the Cloned Witchblade's abilities, given present data; it showed that she preferred close combat in her armored form and used a gun for distance assault. The data access and download was coming along at a greatly increased ratio since the technician who was in the server room had been occupied now it was time to create a virtual opponent for him to go against. Searching through its directory of video game combatants it had on file, it created its army to go against him.

* * *

Herro felt the slap of a pike to his crotch. Realizing that there was someone or a group of someones in here, he had to move.

Quickly sliding across the floor he forced himself up. Quickly knowing that whoever was attacking him would get a blow in again.

"GET OVER HERE!" A base voice yelled at him as he felt a jab into his side. Herro up and had it, he was going to fight. That was when he hauled off and punched at his invisible foe.

* * *

Kagura saw a figure in the hallway she was moving down. He had two weapons and he fired one off in several short bursts at her. Her armor held as he after a few shots started to move towards her dropping the weapons. Now in the back of Kagura's mind, one usually drops a gun and runs away, why was he running towards her?

* * *

Herro could feel the swish of the staff as it slapped hard against his face. He kicked and felt something hard slap against his leg. He didn't even have much time to react to that when he got slammed into his jugular with a fist then elbowed to the face.

"Come on, show yourself, and let me see what a pathetic sack of crap you look like." That was when a hazy outline was shown at the end of a row of servers. You could tell it was a person but the image spackling seemed that the person was using optical camouflage. Herro rushed at it as the image faded away.

* * *

Kagura was recovering from the fact she had been thrown through a wall. The figure was standing with a small gun in his hand. Then he moved back. Something was up... She didn't know but he moved away as sounds of voices could be heard down the hallway. Logic didn't make sense, what was this person? He wasn't human, nor was he an I-Weapon, so that left the point of if you didn't know what something was in a fight and it just kicked your ass, you have two options, Hide and/or Run.

Hiding sounded good at this time.

What was this thing? It just kept coming at her.

With that Kagura decided to take her blade and slice through a wall and ran away.

* * *

Herro felt the kick and blows from his opponent, the whoosh of a staff could be heard swinging by his head. Whomever this person was a nasty piece of work. He hoped that Kagura would return and take this bastard out; they were on the clock... Then he felt his ears ring out as he got slapped across the head. Herro punched and felt that he hit something. He threw another punch. A Hit... Now he had something to hit now.

* * *

Male human subject has taken up a defensive posture with focused attention on projected sonic avatar entity. The server room was being sorted out command wise as more data was downloaded and transferred into the remote link chain of the tube bots to the small satellite dish on the back of the Hummer that was now sitting in the NSWF lobby. Daemon studied the behavior of his subject and realized that as long as the combat program was running and a running variant aggression level was programmed in, then the download would continue as planned.

Subsequently, the Cloned Witchblade subject had encountered the tactical drone and had taken up an escape and evade concept. If subject is able to escape or contact outside sources, the subsequent unsecured facilities of the NSWF will be locked down. Daemon considered this and realized that containment was the best option. With that it commanded its robots to shut the security screens to the building. The screens had been constructed in such a way to contain and restrain a Witchblade replica, so all it needed to do was stall for more time and this would provide it in spades. With a single command a recorded image of the outside was projected onto the screens to give the appearance that the windows and doors were still available to anyone inside. A slight modulation of the image blurred the image just enough to fill in the gaps of the screens provided a flawless image that would reveal the projection only at mere inches. Now it had to keep these two individuals occupied for a longer period of time so that it would have unlimited access.

A drone had detected movement in its sector and Daemon decided to give this one a run for her money.

* * *

Kagura had sliced through several walls before she hit a wall of semi-automatic fire. Quickly changing direction she backed thorough several rooms before heading through a door and right into the walking nightmare. With a grab she was thrown down a hallway so hard that she bounced down a flight of stairs. Kagura quickly realized that she was heading to the downstairs labs. She was being boxed in.

Seeing that there was a window she tried to jump through it, but as she slammed into the glass, she bounced back with a metal thud. Waving her hand before the window to see that it was projection if the outside. Then she heard a whirr of motors as something scurried across the floor.

"_Child..._" It was Furimizu's voice. "Da.. I..." It took her a moment to realize that it was trimmed together audio, then what the sounds were supposed to mean. Then the realization came through as she noticed that the tall man was standing behind her. That was when she bolted down to the next floor. Hopefully she could get out through the body disposal tunnel or the basement garbage chute. Her main concern just became: _GET THE HELL OUT OF HERE!_

* * *

Herro was tired of having his ass being kicked.

"Come on... now I have had my ass handed to me by guys tougher than you." A voice snuck up on him as he reached over and ripped a USB keyboard from a nearby sat receiver. He didn't care if it had the cord still attached; he was going to beat the crap out of this bastard.

"Yeah... Well I worked for a guy that didn't pay me all that much, but shit... He did offer a health plan next to none." Herro said as swung the keyboard like a shield to block another incoming blow. Performing a close range roundhouse kick he hoped that the bastard went flying. He needed to get back to working on the data. Finding a rolling chair he grabbed the back and shoved it towards his opponent. The chair wildly rolled across the floor making a quick dash back to the computers he had been working on. He prayed that no one had touched his data. That was when he heard the sounds of electronic beeps and chirps from behind him. He turned to see several small tube or egg shaped robots rolling across the floor towards him.

_YOU HAVE FORCED MY HAND HERO! _The voice just hung in the hair as the realization came before him as several of the robots opened their sides up to reveal several small dipped shaped dishes and they were all pointed at him. What concerned him wasn't their size... It was their number. A whole lot of them... A really fucking shitload of them... That and they were coming out of the woodwork... Literally...

"You're a robot..." he closed his eyes as the screen started up again, this time the icons were moving around on their own. He turned to see what had been happening as the processing rate was sliding at near off the charts started to drop down as the last bit of data was being sent over the Internet. "You were to stall me so you could get the..."

"Yes Dave... I have..." The audio had been cut together to form the phrase... When he realized that he had been punching at ultrasonic pulses fired at him to simulate attacks and they hurt. The sound of a 12-gage shotgun being chambered was all Herro needed to go diving for the bullet proofed air lock door.

* * *

Kagura was being hunted down. What was this guy? He wasn't an EX-Con... Fuck... He wasn't even an I-Weapon... Ex-Cons just came after you once they sensed you. I-Weapons just followed their directed programming and took out a target... This guy was different... he surely didn't have human strength. And the entire death threat delivered via Father's voice through a rolling MP3 player... This was nuts...

Seeing her objective before her she could see that the garbage chute was before her. The sound of voices ahead of her.

"Sir... Female hostile is making a run for the garbage chute; place all available forces near the exits around that area." Shit they had anticipated this move. But what about the body disposal tunnel? Kagura laid on the speed as she shot past the garbage chute. They probably had the camera's back up and running. Kagura used her blade and slashed at the first camera she saw.

"Sir... Subject is attempting to disable all video feeds on your floor... Be warned hostile is armed and dangerous... approached with extreme caution and fire upon if subject makes any... I repeat any threatening moves..." Kagura made the dive into the morgue.

* * *

Female subject has entered morgue. Analysis of records states that bodies of deceased Neo-Genetic females were autopsied, before cellular genetic material was extracted along with their eggs. Afterwards the bodies destroyed via cryogenic emersion and fine blade crushing which left the bodies a fine unrecognizable fine power. Daemon realized that all this liquid nitrogen had been used for destroying the evidence so using it to incapacitate this individual would only take a few seconds if she knew what was happening and it didn't need to bring the temperature down to lethal levels. I just needed to get her to want out of the room. With that it sealed off the mechanical exits so that they were only accessible from the outside.

* * *

Kagura sprinted through the door of the morgue. No one would think that there would be an exit out of this place in this god forsaken room. Kagura looked around to see that the place had been cleaned out of bodies. Damn Police... They probably knew about the deaths here, but not the details... Herro would destroy that evidence and Father's failures would just be nameless bodies. Then she heard something start up in this room. Turning to see the disposal unit start up, she failed to notice that the door behind her closed automatically and lock. It wasn't until the thud of the securing bolt that she realized she was stuck in here. Quickly Kagura moved to head over to the small ejection door that was placed in here to flush the remains down into the sewer system. But she was stopped cold as she noticed a thick metal plate covering the structure. She shoved her tendrils down into the plate and found that it went deeper than expected. Then the further she went, the more she got worried. Father probably thought of this when he had this place built. He had constructed this place to prevent a sister who had gone rogue from escaping this way...

Then she heard the pressure in the disposal unit start to change. It was getting loud... Shit the unit was going to over load... Quickly she ran back to the door. She started to pound on the reinforced door with all of her might. Even with super human strength the door barely budged. She as going to die in here. Shit... she had to stop the pressure. Using her tendrils, she tried to tie off the lines running into the machine... As she tried to squeeze them shut, the tentacles broke off... She tried again... But they broke off again...

She was screwed.

Running back to the door, she pounded harder. She didn't care if she was captured, she wanted to live. She scraped with her claws... pounded with feet. The cold was creeping closer to her. The last thing she wanted was to die as a frozen human-popsicle.

Then the door slid open.

At first she didn't care who her savior was, she was glad to have the door open. Then as her eyes adjusted to the light, she saw the nightmare of a man who had thrown her through a wall. With a speed that was superhuman he grabbed her while at the same time punched her into the chest with something sharp. The sheer shock of being stabbed was still in play as she looked down to see a tranquilizer dart pounded through her armor and into her skin. That was before his fist went into her face.

Then darkness.

* * *

Herro was hurting as he realized that he now had a cracked rib ... no... Make that several cracked ribs... he breathed through the pain as he rolled over in the air lock. What he saw made survival all that more important to him. The three inches of bulletproof glass was vibrating like the rear window of a car that had a bank of subwoofers cranked up all the way and then some...

He moaned... those little bugger were not as innocent as they looked. Sheesh, they had him played while getting the data. Now they were trying to get him. Whatever he knew or had was very important to whoever was controlling these little robots. Then he heard it between the thudding of the window.

Ping...

Then Again...

Ping...

Moving over to the reinforced glass, he could see it. One of the robots had started to unscrew the screws holding the metal plate in place around the glass. As each set screws started to fall to the floor; Herro realized that he needed to get out of this room to stay alive. As he moved to the other door to get out, he saw several more of those cylinder bots outside this time they were in the hallway. They had designed the doors to keep people out, not in... And he had an unrelenting group of these things working their way through the door.

Crap...

These little buggers didn't give up that easily...

Ping, Ping, Ping...

Herro just punched the outside door and screamed. His ears were now starting to bleed as waves of nausea hit him. Sonic weapons... Not good... Then he vomited.

* * *

Kagura felt like she was being carried... Wait she was being carried. Her eye lids didn't seem to want to respond to her body... But she was warm now... Whoever had her was pretty strong as she was slung over a shoulder. She tried to blink...

No that didn't work... She tried again... Wait... she could feel things, just that... No...

No...NO...NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO...

Fear gripped her by the loins... She couldn't move... What had she been jabbed with before being... Pain, face... Punched... she had been punched out...

She noticed that something was following her... A little cylinder, egg like robot... The middle section rotated up to look at her... The one of the sides opened up to reveal a circular speaker.

"Ms. Oogmi Kagura... your body has been paralyzed with Tetrodotoxin," The computer driven female British voice said as they moved. "Your abilities have been neutralized for several hours. Mobility will return in the next few hours. But your pulse rate has been decreased to where your heart beats only twelve times a minute." Kagura felt the person holding you stop as the sound of a low level hum started to grow louder. She was rolled off of the shoulder of her assailant and placed to a door that humming. Eyes open, her head was turned to see it was the computer room air lock. Then on the floor through the air lock glass was Herro. A wave of blood exploded across the inside glass from his cough... Then the noise came to a stop.

"We deeply apologize for the severe actions we have taken but you were in the process of destroying something me and my associates really need to acquire." There was a pause as the outside air lock door was opened by the figure carrying her and Herro was dragged out. Kagura wanted to throw up but couldn't, her body didn't want to do anything she wanted.

"If you are concerned about your associate here, he will recover. Though most of the damage that has occurred will be to the fine blood vessels throughout his body, this damage is due to his body being overwhelmed by the sonic pressure placed upon it." The electronic voice spoke through the robot.

"You and your associates will be left to the authorities that have been dispatched to this location. Any attempt to harm any more of the information pertaining to the Cloneblades and/or Neo Gene research will be seen as an act of aggression. You and your associates will be permanently neutralized as a result. It is only a matter if you are still breathing or not afterwards that will be your choice." The robot rolled away as Kagura and Herro were dragged down the hallway to the main lobby by the monster of a figure that never tired as a small army of robots trailed out behind them.

* * *

Agent Bulma of the Tokyo PD Cyber Crimes division walked into the NSWF compound lobby. The two officers who had been on duty during the incident were giving their report to their superiors. Several medical technicians were looking at the two people who were being placed on gurneys. The woman looked unharmed other than a large blob of metallic foam on her wrist.

Other than the large sheets of broken glass that crunched underfoot, the large bald man was motioned by a fellow officer to follow him. This place looked like a war zone, what had gone down here, but knowing about the entire scandal about this place he roughly knew what it was. Since he had been called in he knew that it probably involved the servers pertaining to what had been done to those girls called Neo Genes.

Stopping at a line of streaked blood on the floor leading from the computer server room, He knew that he wouldn't get any sleep for the next few days.

"Sir, we called you in because of this." The officer in charge pointed at the computer monitors around the IT room. The following words were flashing across the screens:

DAEMON IS BACK

Agent Bulma reached into his pocket and placed a phone call to one of his collages who worked for the US FBI. He had been to a conference about this guy, but to see the handiwork first hand, well the number of agencies who had fecal matter hitting the cooling units was going to be numerous.

* * *

Kyoko Sasaki was working at her computer, the entire thing about the Witchblade's return had been her only priority and Yuusuke had been dodging her calls lately. The news footage was hard to deny, Yuusuke had known the Witchblade, hell they practically hugged the stuffing out of each other.

_Her name is Melanie_...

_Melanie..._ where had she heard that name before?

Before that train of thought could be concluded her phone rang. She cursed before picking it up.

"TV Tokyo News Department, Sasaki Kyoko speaking?" Kyoko said automatically.

"Ms. Sasaki... Do you wish to see the concealed database of the Nippon State Welfare Division that was run by one late "Father" Furimizu?" Kyoko paused, the voice sounded disguised or synthetic.

"Who is this?" Kyoko asked quizzically.

"I am a representative of a set of individuals who wish to ensure no further interference by the late Mr. Furimizu's associates." The voice was cold and mechanical.

"Okay, I said who is this?" Kyoko said worriedly.

"My name for the time being for your convenience is Aurora. Given your background in journalism and the stories that you have broken over the past few years the most recent was following the battle of Tokyo." A pause followed. "I am sending you several documents you might find interesting. In one hour I will be contacting you again to see if you wish to pursue the more detailed information I will be sending you." With that the line went dead. Kyoko turned to see several incoming e-mails to her in-box. What caught her attention was the fact that the files were bordering on 10 mb each.

Performing a virus scan on the e-mails she opened the files. The first few pages and picture files she opened was enough for her to drop all of her projects for the time being. This was big news. This was right out of the horse's mouth... literally... part of this was Furimizu's own personal journal and video log.

* * *

Well , what did you all think of this chapter,

Let me know... click the little blue button below and leave a review.

Hearns

* * *

Notes:

_**THEY SAID SCIENCE!**_

If you want to see the robot that I used for the basis of the Cylinder bots do a search for the "Sony Rolly." There are a ton of Youtube videos dedicated to this little guy.

Also do a goggle look up for Woody Norris for the Hypersonic sound system and LRAD (Long Range Acoustical Device) for sonic weapons technology, this is what I used for the creepy stuff in this chapter. Don't even begin me on the Elastol manufacturing technology, if you have seen how it is made, then you learn where I get my creep factor from.

Note 2:

Shiori is back next chapter WITH FANSERVICE!


	15. Chapter 15

Warning, Nudity… (That is an understatement)

* * *

Chapter 15: Piling Effect

* * *

Shiori felt warm, really nice warm. She breathed in as reached over to stroke the little mini Riena. She had fallen asleep and started to move. Then something moist and wet clung to her breast. Shiori worked through the haze to see a girl with green hair clamped onto her breast with her mouth. Shiori reached up and noticed the girl was half asleep, but calm... Shiori reached up and rubbed the side of the girl's face and the she roused awake.

"Hi..." Shiori said softly as the girl looked a little embarrassed at what she had been doing. The girl looked awkward at Shiori then at the breast she had been sleeping/munching on.

"Sorry..." The girl moved away embarrassed… Almost ashamed of what she had been doing. Shiori reached out to the girl and stopped her from moving further away.

"Don't worry, I half expected something like this to happen given what Furumizu had done to us. A group sense huddle/cuddle to be safe is instinctual for feeling safe." Shiori raised her eyebrows a few times and shrugged it off and grinned at the girl. "I'm a lesbian, and you don't have to be ashamed of loving a girl, just get to know someone first before you clomp on their breast." The girl understood and kissed her on the cheek before standing up and moving away.

"Thank you…" The girl trotted away to another part of the Harem.

Shiori didn't mind becoming a big sister to these girls, but it didn't seem right to her being seen as a Mother/Goddess figure, older sister yes. Mother Goddess... No.

Shiori moved again but she stopped again to find that several other girls had piled around her. Most snuggled against her large frame, while others seemed to hold to the structure around her. Three girls seemed to have made her legs a nice pillow and one of them had her hand perilously close to Shiori's crotch. Shiori rolled her eyes... she had become the center of an all girl naked cuddle pile. They must have seen her actions with Maria as being some sort of power to heal their minds and memories. She only did what Reina had done for her... Be a shoulder to lean on. Had she kissed Riena that passionately? She shook her head clear of the cobwebs that were in her head.

That was when Shiori felt warmth forming in her bladder and knew that nature was calling. Slowly trying to get the girls off of her, Shiori knocked a few off as she slid up out of the pile. The entire pile realized that Shiori was getting up. Some rolled, others slid, and one girl's head hit the ground with a thud as Shiori freed herself to stand up.

Several of the girls looked worried, some just plain sleepy just found another soft place and went back to sleep. They were all running on primal instincts for safety and comfort.

Leaning over to the girl who had been munching her breast earlier, Shiori spoke.

"Do you know where the bathroom is?" The girl nodded and rose up with Shiori and walked her over to a small Japanese style public toilet that was hidden in a little concealed alcove. They even had toilet paper... Shiori sighed as she squatted down and peed. Now all she needed was clothing for everyone.

* * *

Masane had gone to the bathroom and rinsed some of the night's lovemaking off of her body before putting on one of Reiji's shirts and heading towards Rihoko's room with a clean pair of undergarments on.

Seeing her daughter sleep, Masane slipped into bed next to her. That was when the Witchblade wanted to speak to her.

_Masane..._ The blade spoke softly. _I know I have been silent for a long time, but mind that we speak._ Masane watched as the blade stretched out some on her wrist and wrapped around her hand. Masane grew concerned about this, but the Blade started to change its appearance.

"Sure..." Watched as the gauntlet on her wrist started to shift from its "Evil Eye" to something more European based.

_You like... or... do you want me to change to something more... Asian... or_

Masane wondered if the blade was humoring her.

"You said you wanted to talk. Talk." Masane kept her voice low as not to disturb Rihoko.

_You are not the only bearer who had been a mother..._ Masane felt as Witchblade showed her images of several women in labor giving birth to children throughout time. Masane winced a few times and gritted her teeth as she actually felt a child move through her loins from one of the memories. _Sorry about that..._ The Witchblade apologized as it placed images of a woman in the late twentieth century breast feeding her daughter by the window.

"Hope... you make the world seem a better place." the woman said as she looked at the photos on the table. The Witchblade formed a rattle and shook it before the baby. The baby grabbed for it. It was weird but... the blades wasn't being aggressive it cared about the child.

"What was that?" Masane spoke up as she watched the Witchblade curl around her.

_Memories of Sara... she was one of my previous bearers. She was a New York Police Detective._

Masane could feel that there was more to the story. The blade had been vicious, but this side of it was... Different. It was acting like her.

"You were close to Sara's daughter weren't you?" The Witchblade nodded in the back of her mind. The Witchblade was placing its feelings into her... She hadn't felt like this since... Riko was taken away... This is when it hit her... "Hope's family?"

_Yes... she is... she was born from fragments of me, Darkness, his host at the time and Sara..._ _my host at that time._ It was weird but it was like learning that Witchblade's previous host had rolled around the sack with the host of its Dad. She shuddered at that fact.

"Your dad humped you?" Masane said in a whisper fearing Rihoko would hear it.

_No... our hosts did... Darkness and Angelus need human hosts to exist to some degree in the Earthy realm... Well actually their powers, but not them biologically... whenever I bond with a host, I share some of my DNA with them and they with me... Sometimes it winds up in the children and they have powers. _

"Like the Neo Genes..." Masane said disgusted at the thought.

_No... The Neo Genes just have aspects of it... The left over residue... the stuff that allows them to bond with my offspring. I mean... in short terms... They have access to the genetic memory of my previous hosts... Like what I showed you about Sara... _

"You mean... That Hope has part of your memories..." Masane said concerned.

_No... Not exactly, I mean... my hosts... She has some of their memories... Dreams, desires. _The blade reached out and formed armor around Masane... Keeping her legs and feet bare in the process. _Mostly the stories of their lives. _

"So she knows about your history?" Masane said softly.

_Masane... She is my family... Part by blood, but because I was so close to her and her mother..._ Masane could feel Witchblade crying... It was hugging her close.

"Show me..." Masane ordered the Blade.

_I will have to encase you for this journey... _

"Encase?"

_"Cocoon..." _Masane looked at her daughter and worried...

I can bring her along , but the both of you will have to disrobe... I tend to tear up clothes while doing this... The more skin I'm in contact with... the better the connection the bearers have with the memories of the previous bearers.

"You want us to strip?!"

_No... Just that you want to keep your clothes intact... Well you will have to take them off. One of my previous bearers got really angry at me when I shredded her clothes… One of the items was her favorite shirt. _Masane didn't like the feeling of this. _Please... You want to learn more, but you are unwilling to leave your daughter alone again... This is an option I am giving you. _Masane felt the Witchblade worry, this was important… very important to it… It was going to spill the beans about something and it would impact her and Rihoko's future.

"One condition... You will not bond with Rihoko during this... You do..." the Witchblade understood as it felt Masane's threat.

_I understand... please wake Rihoko up and we will begin. _Masane reached over and roused her daughter awake slowly...

"Riko... Riko dear wake up..." Masane nudged at her daughter. Rihoko rolled over and batted at her a few times before going back to sleep. Masane felt worried about this. Masane rubbed her a little harder. "Rihoko... please wake up..." The girl's eyes slowly opened and looked up to see her mom.

"Mom..." the girl said drowsily.

"Rihoko, Mommy needs you to get up." Masane sat up in the bed. Rihoko turned to see her mom in her armor sitting in bed with her. Rihoko looked worried.

"Mom... is there something wrong?" Rihoko said scared.

"No... Rihoko..." Masane dropped her armor and got out of Rihoko's bed. "I just learned to do something with my powers." Masane said as she got down to eye level with her daughter.

"What is it Mom?" Rihoko said curiously...

"Well, Mommy's powers are formed by my bracelet." Masane said as she held her wrist out and changed it into its gauntlet form.

"I know that mom..." Rihoko said in an almost deadpan voice.

"But did you know it stores the stories of the others who have worn it." Rihoko blinked a few times...

"You mean..."

"Yeah... I just learned that little bit a little while ago..." There was a wince... "There is only a catch..." Rihoko looked worried.

"What is it..."

"Well it kind of tears up your clothes..." Rihoko looked worried.

"Why would it do that?"

"Something having to do with physical contact and connecting with your mind and body."

Masane put your hand on Rihoko's back. The Witchblade chided her. Reluctantly Masane did as she was told.

_Rihoko..._

_Mom did you hear that?_ Rihoko reacted before the words come out.

_Yes I did Riko..._ Masane realized that she hadn't spoken and neither had Rihoko.

_Masane... sorry... I established a link between the three of us. _

_Three?_ Rihoko thought with curiosity.

_Yes, Your Mother, Yourself and me... The Witchblade..._

_You talk?_ Rihoko was hyped at learning this.

_Well,,, I wasn't able to talk for a long time until recently... Now your mother wants some information about the pervious bearers... _

_This is neat Mom... _

_Masane you asked me to show you the information about several of the previous bearers... _

_Yeah I know... You need us to strip so that you can pump in the extra bandwidth into us._ Masane rose and unbuttoned her borrowed shirt and slid off her underwear before Rihoko.

"Riko..." Masane spoke up as she knelt down by her daughter's bed in the nude. "Want to learn about the origins of Mommy's powers?" Rihoko nodded and slid out of the bed. Masane helped her daughter undress and fold their clothes on her bed.

Once this was done, Masane's gauntleted hand was placed on her daughters back.

Masane hold Rihoko close. The Witchblade spoke as Masane could feel the armor flow around her and Rihoko's naked bodies.

Hold on... With that they were encased in a egg shaped structure that felt like a warm fluffy bath towel fresh from the dryer.

* * *

Masane and Rihoko felt their eyes open as they saw they were in someone's apartment. Second thing they noticed was that they were nude.

"WITCHBLADE!" Masane let the sound of anger in her voice make the statement...

_Sorry..._ Witchblade apologized as Masane found herself in her level two armor and Rihoko was placed in a very conservative version of her Level one armor.

"Wow..." Rihoko looked at her hands and spun around a few times to look at her new armor before running over to her mom and hugging her around the wait. "No wonder you woke me up Mom... This is the greatest present ever..."

Masane ran her hand through Rihoko's hair, the grim smile on her face reflecting her concern about this.

_Masane... Rihoko..._ A figure spoke to them. It took Masane a moment to realize that this figure was the Witchblade itself.

_"Witchblade?" Masane spoke up as the figur_e came towards them. The creature looked to be a living organic mass of Witchblade bio matter, but his figure looked smooth and silvery as its featureless face changed to have ridges to slowly change to form a walking suit of armor.

"It is I Masane..." Witchblade stopped in full view of her. Masane seeing Darkness and Angelus's true forms; Witchblade seemed more to look like a smaller shiny reflective version of Darkness. Though Masane couldn't tell if it was a he or she. But it looked like a decent creature. For some reason she kept thinking about roses when she saw it.

"Witchblade… Where are we?" Masane looked around the room to see various awards and trophies. All Written in English… Some she could make out from her Swiss cheesed memory.

**POLICE OFFICER OF THE YEAR**

**SARA PEZZINI**

Sara… Masane gasped… The mother…

Rihoko walked around to see several dolls and toys in a corner…

"Mom… Whoever lives here has children…"

"Rihoko put it down…" Masane walked over to see several pictures done in finger paint. What caught her attention was the number of images done of the Witchblade… One of grey armor, one in silver armor… and another done in… She stopped cold… Black… Darkness… Witchblade wasn't' lying about its previous bearer being close to this Sara…

Looking at the broken names above the picture were names…

Mommie… Dani… Daddy… Me… Gleasson… Another picture had two women holding hands… It was the Witchblade in Silver.

Dani and Finch…

"Mom… what are you looking at?" Rihoko saw the images and understood. "Mom… They all have the same armor we are wearing right now."

"Yeah I got that Riko…" Masane walked around more in the apartment. Trophies… Boxing gloves… Ballet shoes… a sword… a grandfather clock… Then the door opened…

"Sara… I know that you don't' approve of…"

"Dani… Quiet…" Masane turned to see a dark haired westerner holding a gun pointed at her.

"OH…. Crap… Witchblade…" Masane spoke worried if she or Rihoko could get hurt in this vision… or Time Travel stuff…

* * *

Shiori after cleaning up herself, stood before the girls in some stripped down armor where her face, hands and feet were exposed. Walking over to Maria... Everyone parted away from her.

"Maria..." The naked girl looked afraid... "I know that you have lost a lot, but these girls look at you as a leader..." Shiori cleared her throat. "I came in here to find out whether or not you all want to return to the Earth." She paused and waited for a moment to figure out what to say next. "I just wanted to see how you and the rest of the girls are doing..." Shiori looked around the room at the girls. Biting her lip before looking back at Maria she continued. "I need to meet with your mother... Reina..." That was when a voice echoed through the chamber.

"Shiori..." Shiori turned to see that Angelus and two of her servants walked into the room. "...What have you learned from your sisters?" Angelus placed an end of spear down on the floor.

"They are unsure... They still need time to sort out things..." Shiori walked around to various groups of girls before looking back at Maria. "Maria, they see as a leader, but I need to find her mother Reina so that she has the strength to lead these girls." Angelus looked at Maria who was on the verge of wetting herself. "Lady Angelus..." Shiori stood before Maria to shield her from the onslaught of Angelus's gaze. "Do you know where Maria's mother is?" Shiori was chancing it here. Angelus took a moment seeing the behavior of the girls in the room before speaking again.

"The one known as Reina is with several others. She is currently with my host Cleopatra who is attending to several other beings brought about by the Trespass." Shiori relaxes a little, as she whispered to Maria to "Armor up..."

"Thank you Lady Angelus..." Shiori fully formed her armor up. "I wish to meet with Reina so that this child..." Shiori pointed at Maria, "can be put at ease for her fears. If she can speak with her mother, she can feel safe to return to the Earthly realm." Maria looked worried.

"Child... do you wish to meet with your mother?" Maria slid and hid behind Shiori's form as Angelus spoke.

"Maria I know that Furumizu really fucked up your first encounter with your mom. And you didn't have the full picture. I have a good part of it and I won't lie... that little girl that you were angry at was your sister." Maria buried her face into Shiori's back. "But she was like you... It was her first encounter with your mother..." Maria looked up. "You are not Reina's only child..." Shiori turned to face Maria. " Furumizu hid the records of your creation from Reina... Reina only knew of your sister and thought that she was lost during the great quake. Ironically she had been found by the Bearer of the Witchblade who was trying to return her to Reina's husband Takayama, who had separated from your mother and had legal custody of the child. A Man who the bearer of Witchblade later fell in love with." Shiori placed her hand underneath Maria's chin. "Maria..." Shiori rubbed the girl's face. "Your mother was just trying to spend time with your sister... Takayama realized that Masane... the bearer of the Witchblade was in love with him and that she just wanted her family back." This was going to be the hard part. "Maria... Masane was on her way to pay a visit to your mother to state that she was in love with Reiji and would have been willing to share custody with her." Maria looked away in guilt.

"She speaks the truth child... Listen." Angelus ordered and Maria was snapped out of her shock just long enough to hear the rest of the information.

"Father... Furumizu used you to get back at your mother for breaking free of him. You broke away... You are your mother's daughter... You have the same fire your mother has... When you killed him, you put a stop to him messing with your sisters... Including your half sister Rihoko..." With that Maria clutched onto Shiori and realized that she had family... Family that would have accepted her except for father messing with her mind.

"Does my mother hate me?" Shiori stroked the girl's hair.

"Your mother bore your no ill will... From what I understand, she would have, if conditions been different, the one known as Reina accepted you, and you would have been close to your half sister Rihoko." Angelus spoke up.

"Maria..." Shiori turned towards Angelus... "Angelus... Might I use the viewer table to show the Witchblade bearer and her family together so Maria here can see her half sister?" Angelus moved forward at this.

"Yes... The Childer of my child are with the young one. The ones known as Asagi and Aoi are close to Rihoko." Maria shoved Shiori away from her and rushed towards Angelus.

"Aoi and Asagi... They are alive?" Maria was in full overload as she grabbed onto the Order Incarnate.

"They are... They are the first two servants of my Child and its bearer... Asagi has made herself advisor to Masane, who is serving as her advisor, and Aoi, is her apprentice. Masane is teaching the youngest one to understand that not all that has been lost, is lost, but merely need to be understood and reinterpreted." Angelus touched the child's cheek. "The Childer Aoi... demanded your return... I felt her sadness... It is much like your own..." Angelus grinned, "If you wish to meet with your progenitor, then I will not interfere." Shiori took this as being a good sign and exhaled hard... One disaster diverted.

"Lady Angelus..." Shiori spoke softly and bowed down before one of the creators of the Witchblade. "May I escort Maria to her mother?" Angelus didn't say a word and motioned for them to pass.

"One of my servants will escort you to her." And Maria and Shiori left the harem to find Reina not before Shiori motioned for one of the girls to come over and armor up before her.

"I want you to gather all of the girls up and those who can, armor up. When we return we will plan our next actions to take for our return." The girl nodded as she transformed into her armored form. Maria grinned as she watched her sisters start working together. Maybe things would work out this time.

* * *

Daemon walked into the main hall of Lord Migura's fortress. Well technically not walk, but a roving moving beetle like robot which was nearly a meter across and sported a holographic emitter on top its quarter meter tall frame showed the image of a Blond Slavic woman. This projected woman moved in accordance to a pre-programmed Video game motion engine in its programming followed the path into the great hall of the ancient Japanese palace. The main area was set up following the lines of traditional Japanese Shogunate palace, but it was the lines of strung up electrical cables and hydrogen fuel cell batters showed that this as a advanced base of operations.

"Lord Migura..." Deamon said through its avatar. "I have gained and sorted through the information about the current Witchblade bearer." There was a pause as a hung sheet had projected on it an image of a woman. "Her name is Masane Amaha, born Yasuka Ohara. The only survivor of an orphanage trip to Tokyo the day of the Ground Zero event." Images showed a different image of Masane. "Given all available data, Amaha experienced traumatic memory repression of seeing her classmates killed and add to the information that her daughter, Rihoko. The girl who was the daughter of one Reina Soho (the science supervisor of the NSWF). Shows that during the great quake Amaha found Soho's child in the aftermath. All data in the context of Soho's behavior states that she was in the process of leaving Furumizu's Science cult with her child." More data was shown.

"Identities and log information shows that Masane Amaha was created in the Nippon State welfare system eight months prior to the quake." The images and statistics of the two women were overlaid. "Now showing the NSWF investigation of Masane Amaha years later by Reina Sohou, that Masane during the confusion found Rihoko Soho aka Rihoko Amaha and using Sohou's created identity went on the run."

"The Amaha route shows behavior of rapid movement of the two over time. Mostly they were attempting to avoid being separated and locked down by the NSWF." More data flashed on the screen.

"As for Reina Sohou, she was connected with research on the Cloneblade program. Given that Douji group weapons development lead by one Reiji Takayama wanted to use the technology to create I-Weapons." Much of the data was correlated together via Daemon to show his fellow members of the Thirteen what he had found. "Given all information I have been able to gather from the seized records and servers of Douji Group point to a security breach the day of the great quake." Then the facts became clear. "Combine this with Furumizu's own personal records of those days. He had order to retrieve Sohou and the Blade at all cost. Subsequent information states that though Sohou was recovered, her child and the blade were lost. The rest of the information states that Ohara acquires the identity Sohou's cover identity and her child and goes on the run for the next six years till her return to Tokyo nine months ago."

Everyone in the room start rubbing their heads.

"Could you simplify the information so you are not leading us around in circles with origins information, Daemon?" Lord Migura stated disdainfully.

"Yes, Sir. All I have learned is that Amaha/Ohara given past information..." A stern glare from Migura had Daemon reconfiguring the wording of what was to be said next. "Amaha/Ohara will protect individuals, innocents from harm, and her investigative skills show that like some of the previous Witchblade wielders, is able to look for facts and details in such a way to direct her to a goal of neutralizing opponents. As can be seen by her associates." Two pictures appeared on the monitors. "Kyoko Sasaki and Yuusuke Tozawa, two news reporters who have connections and clout to ensure that any story they air will cause great damage to her foes." The image shifted towards Kyoko Sasaki, "Sasaki, is willing to bite at another story and I have provided her information to prevent the remaining followers of Furumizu from interfering with us. Additionally, she provides us a line into the Witchblade command structure in that Takayama is now affiliated with a branch of the International Oversight Authority."

Migura studied the woman's image with a grin. "Does she know the Witchblade's identity?"

"Negative Sir... from all image logs and facts at hand as well how she termed Amaha as a monster, she has not made the connection to Amaha and her alter ego." Migura ran his hands over the projected image.

"Good, we can use her at a later date. See that she performed her duties in the elimination of Furumizu's followers, but make sure that she doesn't delete or lose the database of the NSWF. I want Witchblade to know that someone knows her back story other than her. That should provide us leverage later on when we have to deal with her in the future." Lord Migura ran his hands softly across the side of Kyoko Sasaki's projected face. "Such a fine woman..."

* * *

TBC

Action, Adventure, and Firepower galore next chapter.

Next Chapter 16:

Preview…

"Mom…" Maria could barely move from where she stood…


	16. Chapter 16

Since School is starting, I am giving you all a double long chapter to have.

I will attempt to sporadically update this story whenever I get a chance over the next few months until December.

A Big thanks goes out the RPG, Spartan, and Luna for helping me keep this story going and having to deal with me in "Stealth Mode" while dodging spammers. "My Kingdom for some Thermo Optic Camouflage."

Now place your seats in an upright position, get comfortable and take the phone off the hook and get ready.

"It's story time"

* * *

Chapter 16: Connection

* * *

The night felt safe. For Kya... All these months away from her family stuck to her heart like a manta ray singer through her chest. It hurt. All she wanted to do was be a healer, but being on this trip made her grow up a bit, but seeing how their instructor Kiani had shown this side of wanting to return these children home. She understood where she was coming from. She wanted these children under her charge to keep their innocence just a bit longer. But when those weapons rolled by their colony, Kiani was ordered to follow and learn were they had come from. Since then, there had been several pathways formed along the sea floor of these things all heading to the above world island of Japan.

Now learning that the being The Witchblade was involved in fighting them. They were under orders to contact this being.

Kya looked over all the information about the Witchblade, this was a remarkable creature. A living weapon the bonded to a host of a warrior bloodline, but it wasn't it's powers of lethality that made Kya read every article she could dig up on this creature, it was its ability to heal. The number of sever injuries, cuts, scrapes, and even a reference to reviving a person on Death's doorstep... This was the stuff that made her desires of becoming a healer all that more pressing. Kya stood up and stretched out her dark skinned body. She had taken off her sarong and thrown it across her bed along with much of her ceremonial jewelry of her family. Seeing Killa hold her mother's scarf in her hands, the Blue girl studied what it would be like to be young again, having dinner with her family. Eating the hard crustacean stew her mom would make during their early trips from the warm Sea Islands where many of the Blue families would go to spend time on the surface. The native safe feel of the soft sand under her toes as she walked along the beach during those days of her youth. That one time she watched from a distance as the crew from a human sail boat chasing marine life came ashore and had a meal.

She had snuck onboard to look around, touching nothing but the floor. Humans were strange creatures, with all their consumption, but there was something about them slowly learning that there had to be balance, and that they would have to learn that after taking so much from this world, they would have to start giving back. A lesson the Blue had learned long ago. Sneaking off the boat, she saw a human girl sleeping, she had been ill. So Kya had used some of her powers to help heal the girl by removing the toxins that made her sick by forcing them out of her body. The girl awoke for a short time, but soothed her back to sleep with a short song. She had left the girl soon after that knowing the girl would soon be feeling better. She had wondered what had happened to that girl, whether or not she remembered Kya's intervention in her life, but as Kya walked up to the Transformed ship's deck to look out upon the partially sunken cityscape.

All this mess had started with Man's weapons driving past her home colony, now seeing the society that had constructed them rebuild from those very weapons attacking them back. It just made her think. That was when Jace came up from below deck. He had an interactive terminal in his hands.

"Hey Kya..." Jace said as he leaned against the faux command deck panel. "So grabbing some air?" Kya leaned back against the wall.

"Yeah... Just looking out at the humans out there." Jace reached over and picked up a pair of oculars and held them up.

"You know I was up here a few days back and saw a pair of humans mating, not all that too different then what we do. Though they tend to do some weird stuff, I mean what it is with that edible foam white cream stuff that comes out of a can they spray on each other?" Kya grinned picturing that image occurring on two of her own species.

"Yeah... Some of their mating acts are just strange, I have noticed that too." Kya elbowed him in the chest as she walked over. "But mostly I watch them during the early mornings as they start preparing for their day. There is this one fisherman who has a hairy animal with him that keeps him company." Jace placed the oculars down and looked at Kya.

"So you have seen him too. A nice fellow, from what I see, he kinda of reminds me of my grandfather." Jace looked down at the data pad before handing it to Kya. "I just finished doing a search on the supply routes of where those weapons were manufactured." Kya looked at the pad before her as she looked at the materials involved to create those weapons that kept her from going home. "So... Have you shown this to Kiani?" Kya said thumbing thought the supply numbers and the tracking information that the recovery team had been able to find from the now sunken cargo that had been carrying those automated weapons.

"Yes, I have, I decided to show it to everyone so they know how urgent we need to contact the Witchblade." Kya sighed at this looking at the number of shipments that had been made.

Two hundred of those things in a shipment, and the ship that had unleashed these things was ship number... Kya wanted to scream... They would need an army of beings such as the Witchblade to stop them all... What idiot produced over thirty thousand units... And how the hell had they done it? Wasn't Japan an island nation with minimal mineral resources... Kya fell to her knees and sobbed. Jace moved over and sat by her and held her tight. Humans could be such vile creatures. Kya prayed to all the deities of her people to vengeance upon the one who had made those vile machines... Fate on the other hand had dealt a blow for her in driving the Former head of Douji Wado insane.

* * *

Kyoko Sasaki rolled around in her bed as she dreamt of the past day's events...

_"She's not a monster. She's a mother"_ Yuusuke's voice rang out in her dream as the Wtichblade jumped between buildings fighting her foes... Then the words rang out again as she held up her hand and gem glowed on the back of her wrist taking with it several I-Weapon Tanks and Tokyo Tower with her...

_"She's not a monster. She's a mother"_ The Witchblade's return with her two sister monsters and how they cared for that child as they turned her over to the police. The look on the Red Armored one's face looked so round...

_"She's a mother"_ Yuusuke's voice hammed down the subject into her head.

The Witchblade hugged the girl to see she was okay...

_"mother..." _The voice chided again..

The rounded chin, the relaxed look of her face...

Then she was at a beach... It was the Beach trip/date that Yuusuke, herself, the Otoko girls, and various members of Yuusuke's apartment building had gone with them.

_"mother..." _

Her daughter Yuuki was playing with her new friend Riko... And...

"Hey Melanie..." Kyoko turned to see Masane and Yuusuke catching a Frisbee between them... Round face... Suddenly Masane transformed into the Witchblade... The same rounded features... as Masane/Witchblade walked up to her.

_"Monster... Mother..." _

Kyoko turned and stepped backwards to see little Riko run into her mom's arms... A moment later the girl started to develop the same armor as her mother...

Riko turned towards her...

"Why did you call my mommy a monster?" With that the girl's back sprouted tentacles and they grabbed her and pulled her towards the mother and daughter creatures.

"Yeah... Why did you call me a monster, I'm a single mom with enough problems as it is..." Masane/Witchblade looked a little perturbed at her. As Riko started to cry in her mother's arms... The image of night came over the sky as Kyoko felt the cold sink into her skin, then realized that she was naked and alone on that very beach.

Kyoko opened her eyes and came to the realization of what her mind had finally pieced together... Shit... Six months of calling some girl's mom a monster... The girl must hate her... Crap... The girl probably had powers... like her mom... Kyoko slammed her arms hard down on the bed a few times as she gritted her teeth.

Yuusuke was right... She could be such an ass at times... She stared at the ceiling for several hours unable to go back to sleep. Guilt had started to work its way into her life... She had to make this right... Her bosses wanted to know what the Witchblade and her cohorts were up to... Fuck... Kyoko probably knew that part of it was being spent in therapy with Witchblade… Masane because of her... Rolling over she reached over and picked the cordless phone that sat by her bed and scrolled through the speed dial numbers.

She found the number for Yuusuke Tozawa and hit dial.

After what felt like an eternity Yuusuke picked up the phone...

"Hello..." Yuusuke said through his half awake voice.

"Yuusuke..." Kyoko said holding the phone with both hands...

"Yes... Who is this?" Yuusuke was still half asleep.

"It's me... Kyoko..." She bit her lip praying that Yuusuke would fully gain his senses soon.

"Kyoko..." Yuusuke the sounds of him shaking his head a few times could be hard as he slid up on his futon bed... Then he got enough blood flowing in him that he was awake. "Kyoko... what is it?" Kyoko could see him rolling over to see what time it was on his alarm clock...

"Yuusuke..." Kyoko took a deep breath fearing that if she didn't say this in one breath, the words would become stuck in her throat. "Is Masane Amaha... The Lead Witchblade?" This got Yuusuke's attention.

"So you figured it out..." Kyoko felt fear in her soul start to build... That was when she dove over the side of her bed and vomited into the trash can by her bed.

* * *

Kiani watched as looked over the status report from the Blue High Council. The line that stuck out the most was the following words:

_**PERFORM FIELD RECONNANCE ABOUT THE WITCHBLADE**_

Between teaching these children to fight, she had to show them concealment and infiltration techniques. She moved through and handed each the dark green armored tactical suit that each of the Blue Security forces wore. They all had an objective. Clothing, Foodstuffs, and hacking into the monetary computer terminals to gain the proper amount of funds needed to provide their cover.

The "fishing ship" they called home had to deploy two undersea runners so that the small teams could hit their goals in the dead of night.

Kiani given that she was commander during this operation placed the girls, Neri and Kya on getting clothing, while Brit and Jace were charged with hitting the ATM Machine, but at the last minute given that Neri had more stealth with her powers, she swapped out with Jace. Kiani seeing how Neri had more stealth and that having a male along to help pick out clothing would allow them to blend in more.

She and Killa were on lookout so watching the late night lack of people being in the area was good for her to spend time with her Granddaughter knowing that now their mission had taken on the role of urgency with the discovery to the total number of those automated automatons.

* * *

Brit and Neri moved into the walkway by the line of stores by the boardwalk. There were several retailers that sold cheap clothing as well as several boutiques that sold some higher end garments. But it was the monetary computer terminal they were after. Moving past the optical recording devices in the area they reassumed human form out of camera view near the ATM machine. Brit having experience in dealing with computer systems had used the schematics that the Blue Security forces had loaded into their system of how to create a data interface for getting into these units. He handed Neri a card made out of organic quantum processing material and she slipped it into the machine. Brit waited for the card to start speaking to the magnetic and data centers of the machine. Then the terminal started to perform the various actions needed to create bank accounts, file transfers, financial history, and a significant balance. Then all that was needed was to register the crew members as account holders. Brit did most of this in a mater of seconds by uploading a series of names into the system that had been created before hand on the ship. Then with the information loaded to the handheld terminal he motioned over to Neri to type in a series of numbers into the terminal and quickly as the system processed it, a amount of several dozen bills slid out of a panel of the machine.

"Neri... Take the bills..." Brit motioned to her as she started to pull the 25,000 Yen notes out.

"What do we do with theses?" Neri commented at the amount of paper in her hands.

"Neri, they use that as payment for goods and services... any way's we are going to need a lot of it to buy the food supplies we need." Neri looked at the bills as Brit reached over and started to stuff amounts into his armor.

"Neri... Unzip your armor and start stuffing." Neri winced at the thought that she needed to have this underneath her clothing, next to her naked flesh.

"Okay... but if I get a rash from this stuff, I am so going to kill you Brit."

"Yeah, Yeah, Yeah..." Brit said sarcastically, "Hey don't argue with me, It is the Above worlders who use this stuff" Brit grabbed another wad of money and shoved it into his armor. Unseen by then a figure sensed the technology they were using and started to move in. It wanted to make the girl warm.

* * *

Jace using his powers to take out the security system and deactivate the cameras as Brit had instructed him to do. Kya still looked down, but given that she had to brad her hair up so it was out of the way in her tactical suit, she just felt the stress as they entered the clothing store with the various backpacks and fishing sacks. They had seen garments the humans wore, but to touch some of them, felt alien. Kya just looked sad as she reached out and touched a soft blue dress before she moved along to touch other garments, sensing its fabric across her fingers.

"Kya, remember we have to get several pairs and sets of clothing for everyone to begin with..." Jace said as he reached over to grab several pairs of shorts that roughly fit his frame from the computer scans of his measurements back on the ship. Moving over he reached over and found a top that was Kya's size and tossed it towards her. Kya caught it in the air as her retracted fork speared gantlet flicked open.

"Jace... I want to go home... I want to be with my family." Kya started go through tossing clothing, foot coverings both soft and hard around. Grabbing a handful of hangers she just threw them at a male mannequin and opened up her blades and started to slash at the figure with full force. The hydro sharpened edges tore through the plaster, plastic, and metal like a knife through hot butter. Jace watched as Kya vented her anger out before moving another figure and slashed more and more... She needed to let go... He moved towards Kya and using his water based powers moved another mannequin into range, then another, wearing shorts and a shirt top, another with a hat and jacket and rolled up long pants... Then a female wearing a dress, a suit... Kya started to slow down as she bashed in the head of another mannequin... Then she fell to the ground exhausted, crying... Seeing the shredded figures before her she screamed. All the water in the sprinkler system just froze in place as frost formed around the area around her.

Jace walked through the coldness and hugged her.

"It's okay Kya... I miss my family too..." Jace held her tight as he felt the warm water tears touch his skin. "You want to be a healer... Not some soldier on the frontline of a war..." Jace picked up a scarf that had survived her fury and started to dab at her eyes to dry up the tears. "Hey... Since you are a girl, why don't you do what all females like to do when you are down? Pick out clothing." Jace leaned in and kissed her on the mouth. Kya was in shock at this. He felt the same way about this as she did? He grinned. "I know that Human's tastes in garments are different than our people's but that doesn't mean that we can find stuff that you wouldn't mind wearing back on the ship."

Kya came to the realization that Jace was right. Maybe she was seeing this the wrong way... There had to be field garments, but that didn't mean that she couldn't pick stuff out for herself and the others to wear to make them feel better. That and her sarong was getting well worn. Jace moved and found a few shirts that looked good on him. Though plain, they worked well with his figure. Then looking at Kya moving along the dresses, she found a simple long dress that... He stopped cold.

"Kya... you look beautiful." Jace was near to drooling, even through the skintight tactical garment was seen under the dress, he was impressed. Kya looked at her self in the mirror. Even with her traditional hairstyle of the Blue, she looked good in this dress. Quickly finding a few other garments she looked at them. A pair of durable blue leggings that had fine gold stitching was tried on, a short cropped top... Grabbing other items, she slipped them on. Jace was right... She felt better as she grinned. Reaching behind her back, she unzipped the Tactical suit down and slid over a very tight t-shirt.

Jace walked over as he moved over to a counter and started to tab the plastic tags of some garments onto a dipped conical circle. The units separated into two.

"What are you doing?" Kya said looking at the pile of clothing they had both tried on.

"Removing the pressure dye packets. Don't want these garments to explode when we head past the threshold of the door."

"They wired explosive onto their clothing?" Kya looked disgusted.

"No it is a tracking dye packet, not an explosive agent..." Jace said taking one of the dismantled and disarmed Dye packets and placing it into a small bag. "Anyways, take a look." Jace tossed her one of the packets and it showed two vials of green dye. "Do you want your skin to be turned permanent green by that." Kya winced at the thought of that stuff getting on her skin. She shuddered at it.

"Well, let's keep getting clothing from the various departments, I'll hit the male sections, and you hit the female, sections, with the list of supplies." Kya nodded as she took several of the garments and folded them into the vacuum lined bag and started going down the list of items such as getting undergarments, pants, shirts, skirts, blouses and several pairs of shoes that she felt comfortable in. Why did Human females need to have shoes that put their feet into such a strange angle while walking?

* * *

Neri hated the feel of the rough edges of the papery money against her naked flesh. She tugged a few times at her garment as she felt the sharp edges of the bills slide down between her breasts. She sighed as she unzipped her garment and started to move them around. That was when she felt someone behind her as she quickly zipped her front up.

"Make you warm... Make you Warm." Neri turned around to see a very obese, hazy eyed human standing behind her.

"Hey... Do you mind?" Neri said seeing the figure rub his hands together. Something about his eyes just didn't feel right.

"Hey you..." Brit said as he started to run over to Neri. "Just go away.", he insisted sternly

"Make you warm..." the obese human repeated, getting creepier by the second. Brit got between Neri and the guy and stood between them.

"I said go away!" Brit repeated, accenting his tone with harshness an idiot couldn't miss.

"Make you..." Brit had it with this guy, as he flexed his hand and activated the smart armor's weapons.

"Fuck OFF!" Brit said as he shoved the brown coral blade into the guy's face.

"Warm..." The bloated being of a creature got the point and took a step back still grinning, but now he was focused on the both of them. By this time Neri had her own blades deployed. "Two of you to make warm." Brit and Neri got the feeling that this was, as the human expression went, "gonna suck". Then the man slowly started to turn black as his facial features started to disappear away.

"Oh crap..." Brit said realizing pulling his Hydro gun on the guy as his first option might've been a better idea.

* * *

Kya and Jace walked out of the clothing store to see Brit firing several rounds off from his Hydro gun. The several thousand PSI streams of water went into a sphere like machine.

"MAKE YOU WARM... MAKE YOU WARM..." The automated creature yelled out as it started to wheel around Neri and Bri.

"Get the fuck away from us!" Neri said as she pulled out her hydro blade and sliced their attacker, who barely seemed to register the hit.

"MAKE YOU WARM... ROAST YOU TILL YOU ARE DONE... MAKE YOU WARM... MAKE YOU WARM." That was when Neri realized that this was some sort of automated creature, and it was targeting them. Kya realized that this was one of the automated weapons that had driven past her colony. Taking out her weapon, she fired several rounds off into the back of the creature as she sprinted to the middle of the street.

"Hey Ball Body..." Kya screamed out as she fired off shots into the creature. "Leave them be and come after me." This had gotten the attention of the creature as it spun around and started to go after her.

"WARM WARM WARM WARMMMMMMMMMM..."

With that Neri and Brit sprinted out of the way as they slid to a stop by Jace.

"What the hell is that thing?!" Neri spat out as she got on the ear linked communicators they had and contacted Kiani.

"Commander Kiani, this is Neri! We have some sort of creature that's chasing us!" Neri looked as Kya got the creature to follow her to a fire hydrant. Kya fired off several rounds into the metallic structure and water shot up into the air. Then using the Blue's ability to turn into water at will she dove into the stream.

"What do you mean she is being attacked by some creature?" Kiani spoke through the radio as Neri, Jace and Brit watched the creature open up and fire a forked tongue into the stream of the water. That was when a watery figure was pulled out of the water by its clamps.

"Shit... It grabbed Kya..." Neri screamed into her link.

"Stay right there, I am on my way there." Kiani spoke as she got onto the transport and fired it up to bring her to the location of her team.

"Right... And we are going to start shooting till it is dead." Jace said as he leveled his hydro gun and started shooting, Neri and Brit followed suit as she started to discharge their weapons into the creature.

* * *

Kya was using her wits, given that this thing had such a hard shell, she decided to go for the juicy center, if this creature was set up the same was as a crustacean. Having hit it over a water extinguishing terminal so that a stream of water could come up out of the pipes out of the ground she set her plan into motion. Assuming her water form and diving into the wall of water she hoped like the Dark Depths of the sea the strategy would work. Now commanding water to behave the way she wanted took a little effort but when you can vary the density of a fluidic material to say five to a hundred times its density, well mimicking bone was a piece of soft pastry.

When the claw-like tongue grabbed the dummy she had created and enveloped it, she rode in front of it and landed inside of the hydraulic system pieces of the mouth. That was when it started to get hot as she wiggled her way into the empty spaces of this creature. Then she pushed. When she heard weapons fire from outside she used the chance to push harder and weaken her hold on the now super hot water dummy she had created and pressed it into any empty space she could find and started to push hard.

* * *

Jace was worried as he saw the creature slowly super heat the form of Kya as he heard a scream. Then... Seeing the two glowing protrusions on its back, he directed Neri and Brit to shoot at those points until they shuddered.

"Warm... No... Cool... Why am I Cool?" The creature called out as it slowly started to wreath under the now cold and constantly increasing water flowing into its system... It started to panic. It opened up its trap mouth and tried to force water out of it. Jace saw that Kya wasn't in there, but large wave of water was in there and it was growing from the fluid being pressed and pulled in from the nearby water main. Realizing what Kya was doing, they moved over and started to pull as much water as they could into their weapons and started to slam it harder.

Then the creature exploded...

The three of them stopped shooting at the form as they heard the creature scream harder as pieces of it started to turn into human body parts while the glowing hot sections remained mechanical.

Out of this creature's now human mouth a jet of water exploded from it and recongealed into Kya.

The pure look of shock on its face was seen as Kya stood over its now tortured body.

"You wanted to make me warm..." Kya said as she pulled out her Hydro blade. "Well, I am a creature of the cold... and I send you to the icy depths of my people's underworld to be eaten by the creatures of darkness for all eternity." Kya took the blade and put the poor creature out of its misery as her hydroblade claw broke through its skull. Then she vomited seeing the clear and red blood that now covered her body.

That was when Kiani showed up in the main ship overhead with its imaging cloak up and the four them pulled her up along with the stolen supplies they had gotten their hands on and they flew away. The small piece of Coral based hyper alloy that was in the ExCons skull would be the only physical reference of them being there. But blocks away the Tokyo municipal traffic monitoring system would show that four figures wearing organic armor take down a living tactical weapon with gear equivalent to that of the Witchblade.

* * *

The walk through the Other Realm was seriously scaring Maria. Between this place stuck between wanting to look like Hell or like Heaven, the place had a split personality to it. Maria decided that keeping her face unmasked and looking human made her seem calmer, but the more she walked the less armor she had on. Shiori had to force the girl at times to put her armor back on so having the jump on her back Shiori carried the girl.

"Tell me about my Mom?" The girl spoke softly Shiori grinned at this.

"Well she is a strong person, very intellectual, but if you watch her she shows a side of concern. I think she was still trying to figure out your sister when you came in." Shiori adjust Maria on her back. "Mostly, you give her a reference of what you want to do. Body language is a big thing, so just be yourself, don't try to force things on her. Just say..." Shiori stopped for a moment to think. Maria grew concerned.

"Say what?" Shiori let Maria down as she turned towards the girl.

"Maria... I am in love with your mother..." Shiori said it out. Open it felt kinda of nice.

"What?" Maria looked worried.

"Sorry, I have admired your mother from afar..." Shiori grinned and reached out to touch Maria's face. "but I want it to be more. I want to love her, well be her lover." Maria looked worried at this. "I mean I have always like members of the same sex." This was when Maria spoke.

"You mean you like to kiss girls and..." Maria rubbed her hands together to simulate female on female fornication.

"Well I have never done it with another, but I want to. I'm still a virgin."

"I've done it with a girl." Maria blurted out to Shiori... Shiori blinked a few times.

"You have done it with..."

"Aoi... She was nice; I liked her... she... She hugged me and... Well after a shower we touched, experimented, liked how it felt... safe... No fear of being pregnant... Just... I raked her breasts. I think it was a bit rough with her. But... I wanted to be with her... Being close. She was gentle, she..." Maria screamed out the next few words... "SHE LOVED ME... SHE DIED BEFORE ME WHEN WE TRIED TO GET... GET... get the..." Maria fell to the ground.

"Witchblade." Shiori finished as she moved in to hug the girl.

"You wanted your Mom back, and when she died you wanted your girlfriend Aoi back." Shiori let the girl know it was okay in how she felt. "Well don't worry, Your girlfriend Aoi is alive, she went back with the Witchblade." Maria looked at Shiori scared...

"Does she hate me for what I did?" Shiori touched the girl's face. "No... I don't think she is angry with you Maria. I just think that she wanted you back, hell she was a feral maniac who wanted you back... She took on Angelus and screamed her heart out at the woman." Shiori kissed Maria on the forehead. "I think that even the Witchblade was impressed with her." Maria started to look worried. "don't worry. Aoi has been taken under the wing of the Witchblade Bearer who sees her as a younger version of herself." Shiori grinned. Maria still looked worried.

"But what if Aoi doesn't want me back?" Maria was showing concern for another. That was a good sign in Shiori's mind.

"Well considering that talks about you all the time... Even towards the Witchblade's Daughter... If you don't return, I think she will be hurt." Maria looked worried again.

"But..." Shiori put a finger on Maria's mouth to stop her from speaking.

"Hey, this is why we are going to see your mother, if we can get her support then we can return and when we return, you can be with Aoi." Maria cheered up at this.

"Okay..." Maria armored up again, but this time she changed up her armor considerably. Shiori watched as Maria's dark armor took on more of a softer tone as she changed it up to look like... Shiori had to prevent herself from gasping at the image. She looked like a purple version of Reina. Well a more younger Petite version of her, but the likeness was nearly dead on.

"Maria..." Shiori moved up the girl now. "... I think I would tone down some of the blade." Maria looked at her arm.

"Yeah... I think I over did emulating my mom's armor." Shiori grinned as Maria retracted her bladed arm down to something smaller, slimmer.

"No… It just looks good on you. Just add your own touches on it and you'll be fine." Maria closed her eyes. This seemed fun... The blade acted like it was understanding her, then she realized that armor liked what she was doing too. She bit her lip and the armor changed to something she liked. Opening her eyes Maria examined her body. The armor had taken on a soft blue tone to it. The double pointed slash blades she had from her old armor folded softly into the back of her hand with the point hanging on her the back of her middle knuckle. Most of the blade was tucked under her arm but looking at the way the armor flowed, she had breast covers, a crotch jill that felt decent and as Maria touched her back. Soft wings... She flexed her shoulders to see them move. Shiori grinned at her.

"You like?" Maria beamed at Shiori. Shiori grinned at her and walked over the girl.

"You look Beautiful... I believe your mother would approve." Shiori reached over and touched Maria's hair. "You kept your hair dark... Which is nice." Maria blushed...

"Yeah... I want to show my mom that I have grown up and when we get back I want Aoi to recognize me even in my armor." Shiori approved.

"Want to race down the path some?" Shiori hinted by a thumb down the trail, Maria started to leap like crazy before her.

"Yeah... Hey... you said race... Now keep up." Maria said as she sprinted down the path ahead of her. Shiori shook her head then grinned as she went after the girl. If she was this hyper being near the goal of meeting her mom, what was sex with her girlfriend Aoi like? The girl probably screamed at the top of her lungs in pleasure, doing stuff that made Shiori blush just thinking about it. God... She would kill to have sex like that.

* * *

Yorda was standing on the bridge of the NUMA, the artificially created human who had been created out of genetic coding of human DNA and ancient genetic material stood watching the new crew come on board. In her fifteen years of life since she had been created she had weird dreams about angels and robots... But she slowly realized that her elf-like ears made her stand out, but even with her dark hair grown out they still poked through. But it was when she had met April who had shown her to be who she was. The pointed ears were just her, they made her look cute... Then she saw an image of Clark Gable from _Gone with the Wind _and how those large ears... Well she had dreams of mustached man with large ears swooning her... Sigh... Her full body pillow was never the same after that. And she was twelve when that happened.

That was when she saw Apri, CeCe and their friends getting out of the rental van.

"April, CeCe..." Yorda raced, her nearly white alabaster skin glowing in the early morning hours.

"Yorda..." April placed down her suitcase from behind her. The young girl almost creamed her in a flying tackle. "Yorda... you have grown.." April heaved the girl backwards as she braced her weight from the impact.

"April..." The young girl slid down as she touched the ground. "It is so nice to see you." The girl looked at the male members of the group... "So... you brought your boyfriend along." April just blushed a little as Casey was nearly in shock at this.

"Yorda... is your Grandfather on board?" April said seeing the various pieces of luggage be unloaded from the van.

"Yes he is..." Yorda said eyeing Zolton with envy... "You said you were bringing boys, but..." Yorda snaked towards the well built Middle Eastern Male, "Beefcake..." Yorda leaned over and smelled the light scent of sweat on his shirt. "Sigh..."

"Um..." Zolton cleared his throat as he slowly pushed the alabaster girl in black leggings, socks, and a very long tight black t-shirt off of him. "Tell me that there are locks on the showers..." with those words the young girl collapsed in a fit of foaming.

"Why don't you say the size of your Shaloong while you are at it man..." Casey cursed at his friend. April just moved over and asked Luna to help her carry the catatonic girl onboard.

* * *

The Da'Barge was built off of a old New York Garbage barge which provided it a stable base and the ability to move into shallow waters. Given that amount of scrubbing that was needed to convert this structure into a research vessel was minimal, just putting in the essentials such as water and extra deck plating and a sizeable roof. The place looked more like a New York loft, than a mobile research center. But looking around the room it had seemed to have some serious power to it. From the bank of solar cells they had seen on the roof and on the two towers showed that this was a very environmental friendly vehicle that was meant to do some serious work. Zolton saw the work station that he would be working on. But given that he would be putting together racks of material, Servers, and other stuff. The shower looked to have several filtering plants to pull toxins out and make fresh water through a reverse osmosis system. Nice thing was that there was a male and female section. Zolton prayed that Yorda didn't have a webcam set up already to see the guys showering. An Electronic sweep would have to be done before anyone got a shower.

Looking over at the living area, there were several bedrooms that were broken up to be shared by two people. Yeah, this was a floating college dorm room. The Kitchen/meeting room looked to be normal enough for everybody to sit down and have a meal in peace, but the design was primarily a military set up. Well that and a few stickers that had been slapped on to give the place a more human feel to it. Yeah, this was going to be a unique base to work from and he hadn't even found the bridge yet. That was when he found it.

Behind a simple sliding door that led up to the topside showed the bridge. He was half expecting something out of New York tugboat, but this, well... Computer propulsion, radar networking, a simnet connection terminals, Zolton was drooling on the deck when he saw the gear. No wonder they had asked him to come along. The Bridge of ye'olde days was long past. The ship was steered by computer joy sticks. That was when Luna came up to join him.

"Whoa..." Luna looked around. Her Dark Brown hair hung softly around her face.

"Yeah..." Zolton was nearly drooling over the deck.

"So... Pick out your bunk yet?" Zolton was salivating over some of the gear.

"Wha.." Zolton was looking at the processor speed of one of the terminals. That was when Luna decided that drastic measures would be taken. She with one hand unsnapped her bra and lifted up her shirt and flashed her naked breasts before Zolton.

"Oh, Zolton... I love the feel of the sea air across my ample bosom..." Luna was swinging her breasts as tried to get his attention. The blank stare before her just ticked her off. That was when she pulled one arm out of her shirt, freed her bra before slipping her shirt back on and pulling her unsnapped bra through the sleeve of her shirt and threw it across the monitor.

"What?" Zolton blinked a few times before he realized the purple bra before him was...

"There.. Crap man..." Luna marched off the bridge and down the stairs, "Hey I gave you a peek show... But no... You are drooling over some computer equipment..." Zolton looked down at the cups of the bra before slapping himself in the forehead. Had he been so dense to see a pair of... He winced as he raced down the stairs after Luna.

"Luna... Hey... Listen I'm sorry..." That was when a set of Witchblade tentacles struck around his head and one just below his crotch as he came through the hatchway of main terminal.

"Shove it..." then a line of Russian and Georgian curse words followed.

"Dude... you are so screwed." Casey said looking at the Zolton stopped in his tracks.

"Yeah..." That was when the Purple bra in his hands was taken out of his hands and shoved into Cece's pocket as she walked into the room she would be sharing with April.

"Hey, this is what happens when you piss off a girl who is the descendent from a line of Amazon warriors." Michael said as he took up his bunk.

"Should have seen that coming a mile away." Zolton watched as the blades were withdrawn from the stairs around him.

"No Shit bub..." That was when on of the tentacles slapped him across the crotch and he fell forward as Luna marched into her room with her recently reacquired mammary holster over her shoulder.

"Going to be feeling that later on." Zolton moaned as he fell to the floor with his hands holding onto his crotch.

* * *

The sounds of gun fire could be heard as Maria and Shiori slowly approached their destination. Cautiously they kept their armor up, but included more weapons into their forms as they watched what was going on before proceeding. From over the curve of the "road" the saw two males standing next to Reina and she was fully armored up, but she had her large blade retracted. Then a shot rang out.

"Yagi..." The voice from an older man spoke up. "Remember son... you have to take your time in making a shot." That was when Reina walked over to the man and leveled his arm.

"You are trying too hard. You are throwing your self into it too much." Reina spoke as she moved and placed another target up.

"Now remember, slowly this time." The older male voice said as Shiori turned to see a man with glasses that had guns coming out of his arms. He looked to be wearing Witchblade armor, that was when she saw Cleo, the girl that had been there patching her up from the hole in her gut.

"Yeah I know, but considering that I have a set of four cannons attached to my arms, trying not fall on my ass is the hardest thing for me to do." That was when Cleo walked over to him.

"Well can you make the guns smaller, I think that you think having a bigger gun will make you more powerful, just make the barrels smaller?" Cleo said rubbing his arm.

"I'll try... But if my arms get blown off, I'm blaming you." Cleo grinned as she turned around to walk away only to see Shiori and Maria...

"Shiori..." Cleo said as she broke off into a run. Maria didn't know if this person was hostile or not, but given she seemed to know Shiori; she decided to fall back and watch things unfold.

"Hi Cleo..." Shiori reached out to greet the girl. That was when the two of them hugged. Cleo looked up at the taller older woman.

"So... How was your meeting with your sisters? Did things go well for you?" Cleo turned to look at Maria... Maria just studied the scene.

"Well, that is the reason that I am here." Shiori motioned for Maria to come forward. "This is Maria, one of my younger sisters and I wish to reunite her with her mother. Riena" Maria looked nervous at this, but watched as Cleo walked over and touched Maria's arm.

"You are Maria's daughter?" Cleo looked over Maria... Maria felt concerned at this as she noticed the mini-Angelus check her out.

"Um..." Maria took a step back. Then Cleo understood why she had done so. Closing her eyes, Cleo shook her head a few times and collapsed much of her armor down to it's bare minimum.

"Listen, I am not Angelus, Just Angelus' host. You can speak with me." Maria moved forward a little. Then closing her eyes she dropped some of her armor down as well. Seeing Maria's dark hair, made Shiori grin. "Come on I'll introduce you to the others." Cleo motioned for the two of them to walk with her. Seeing Riena and several others around her made Shiori and Maria wonder what was going on but let the lead vassal of Angelus spell things out.

"This is Yagi." Cleo pointed towards the male Witchblade who instead of blades hand guns coming out of his arms. The dark blue of his armor made his small face look out of place. Though the pair of circle speckle glasses he wore made him seem less scary, well when he wasn't panting.

"Hi..." Yagi offered his hand out to Shiori but, Maria moved around him through the people to see.

"Mom..."

Riena turned watched Maria's body language. Maria looked away for a moment before she bit her lip and forced herself to look at her mother.

"Mom... I know that I have done some bad things... Father... he..." The with a flurry she started to speak as if it was a single sentence. Fearing that if she didn't say it now, she wouldn't be able to get it out. That it would die and any chance for it to be said again would end right then and there.

"I wanted to meet you so much; He placed my hope so high that I thought you were perfect, I thought I was perfect... That only by meeting you I would be able to know what it was like to be loved. I wanted to be loved by you ... I wanted... " Maria rushed towards Riena and held onto her mother for dear life... "You to be mine... I didn't want to share you... I am sorry for not knowing that I had a sister that she... she was part of my life too... but she was living with your... I tried to get the Witchblade to bring you back... I grew up after I hurt you... I didn't ... I didn't... " Maria was crying fearing that the wave of raw uncut emotion wouldn't stop falling out of her as she held on for dear life as all the armor she had fell away, emotional and otherwise.

Then a soft hand rubbed the back of her head.

Maria looked up to see her mother, armor gone.

"Maria... I forgive you..." Maria rubbed her naked face against her mother's naked chest. The warmth of their shared touching flesh united mother and daughter as one. That primal, instinctual bond between mother and child allowed for their humanity to be understood on the most basic levels. Maria just loved the feel and sound of her Mother's heart beat. Something that in her short life she had been denied, but now... For this moment she was happy.

* * *

Shiori watched as both Mother and Daughter bonded. She was happy, and this was what the girl needed. This is what every NeoGene ever born needed. With that she found the nearest outcropping and sat down. Noticing that Cleo was moving over next to her, Shiori turned to face the girl.

"So..." Cleo tried to break the silence in the air.

"Well, it went better than I expected, though seeing my lover like this gives me a unique insight into her." Shiori put an elbow on her knee and enjoyed the view. Maria was letting out her baggage of every bad thing she had done... Riena was just softly caressing the girl's head and speaking from time to time to bond and let the girl know she was going to be okay. Seeing Reina motion for her she walked over towards the mother and daughter.

"Shiori..." Reina was semi armored now, but mostly it looked like a swimsuit. "Maria here has said that you helped tell her about the events surrounding the Witchblade and the fact that Reiji, my Ex was coming with the Witchblade Bearer to retrieve the child in that they had fallen in love." Shiori nodded at this. "Well I wish that you would join us." Shiori blinked a few times at this.

"You want me to join you?" Shiori looked between mother and Daughter for cues for what to do next. Maria snuggled her cheek on her mothers chest grinning.

"You are in love with me... aren't you?" Riena offered her hand out to Shiori to join in the hug. Reina wanted Shiori and ... Shiori was beside herself. She swallowed hard.

"You..." Shiori thought about when her blade had gone out of control and she had killed that nurse... The pure fear... the... expression of her feelings uncut... Oh... Crap... She had used tongue during that kiss... Oh... Crap... She cleared her throat... "Listen... I am sorry about giving you the tongue during that kiss in the medical wing... I Mean I wasn't my self... But the feelings behind kissing you were." Shiori gulped.

"Mom..." Maria looked up and moved towards Shiori... "I like her... I wouldn't mind having two mommies..." Maria leaned in and hugged Shiori. "I mean if it makes you happy..." Reina grinned at her daughter.

"We all have made mistakes, and been victims of forces outside of our control." Riena said towards her daughter. "I know that we are not perfect, but we will all try our best to become the family we wish to be. And occasionally we will make mistakes." Maria looked shocked at this before coming worried. "I know that my attempts at being a mother must go deeper than the mere motions and actions of being one, but I believe that knowing this will make me a better one, Maria." Maria moved back and hugged her mother hard.

"I know that you will be the best mom ever." Maria chirped like a three year old. Shiori grinned at this.

"Yeah." And I will be there to back you up." Shiori moved and kissed Reina letting her know that she would be her partner through this, thick and thin.

The two male Witchblades and the current host of the Darkness gave a look of, okay... Can you turn around so that we can see your naked back sides especially Shiori's. Cleo just grinned. Humans are such interesting creatures.

* * *

Masane was sitting on Sara's couch. Between the tense fifteen or so minutes convincing Sara's memories that this was a journey into the past. Well Rihoko was the one who settled things by saying.

"So... you are one of the women who had the same powers as my Mommy did in the past?" Add that to the fact that Masane dropped her armor... Well dropped her armor all the way to her naked ass, which got things moving.

Between Rihoko talking to Sara and stating the obvious reasons they were there, things had started to go Masane's way. Masane thought it was Rihoko's cuteness factor that had cut through all the bullshit as Masane was about to work through some of Sara's defenses and they started to talk.

"Sempai- Sara..." Masane slowly took her time as she spoke with Sara. The more Masane groveled... Well Sara was having the preferable tear drop of sweat bead beside her head.

"Masane..." Sara broke in. "I get the feeling that you are trying to ask for my help... so just flat out and say it."

"I need help in understanding how to balance my life, my powers, and my family in this crazy world I have now found myself in." Sara grinned before shaking her head.

"Masane... You have entered into a life where finding a balance isn't going to be easy. But it is doable. So I need you to tell me everything that has happened in your life so far." With that Masane started telling Sara everything. how she got the Witchblade, the events of her life, the recruitment to kill ExCons, the Furumitzu affair, the being labeled a monster, defeating an army of automated weapons at the same time as fighting a group of Cloned Witchblades, Dying, waking up in another plane of existence and between being in pain stood up for two of the Cloneblades at a trial held by Angelus and Darkness. Being made overseer of the two girls. Rihoko sat captivated by the story of Masane's journey back to the real world. The Entire rescuing of a girl taken hostage by guys pretending to be some of these automated robots, being puked on by the rescued girl. Sara chucked at this by saying, "You had a spewer didn't you." Masane was in shock that there was a term for what had happened to her.

Masane continued with the entire catch up about Reiji and him joining a multi-national/multi-planetary organization of crime fighters. Learning that there were allies and enemies of the Witchblade. Sara exhaled at this as she reached out and took Masane's hand.

"Well, all I can say, is that it only gets weirder. So from what I get is that Angelus and Darkness did something stupid to get thrown into another dimension." Sara got up and walked around the room to sort out the information presented to her. Rihoko watched as Dani, Sara's apprentice had changed into her Witchblade form and was showing her daughter some basic dance moves. It seemed a little weird, but the feeling of normality made thing sort of make sense. Seeing Dani and her daughter dance in their bare feet, she thought about this bonding experience.

Sara moved over and took a book off of her shelf and brought it towards Masane to a pre-opened page. The Drawing presented before her was a strange tree like structure, but by each, she noticed several names, Three stuck out... Witchblade, Angelus, Darkness...

"These are the individuals of the forces of Balance, Order, and Chaos." It was strange seeing the names, beings, identities, this was...

"Wait... Jackie... Esca..." Sara grinned.

"Yeah... Darkness's host and the father of my daughter Hope..." Sara leaned back some before hearing a squeak from a rubber toy. Reaching behind her Sara removed the small rubber turtle with a duck on top. Masane grinned.

"So your daughter likes ducks." Masane reached out and fingered the rubber form in her hands. Remembering the small family of rubber ducks that she and Rihoko had encountered on their way into Tokyo.

"Actually I like ducks... But for some strange reason Hope likes Turtles, Maybe it is just seeing mommy in her armored form that she likes having something that is armored. With that Sara armored up. Seeing the flow of Sara's neck in the armor and those eyes... Sara cried...

"I think I scared my daughter more when I transformed for the first time in front of her. I thought that she would see me as a monster." Sara reached out and touched Masane's shoulder.

"Hey... Don't beat yourself up over the fact you showed that you had powers before your child. Sometimes it shows that you can protect them." Sara pointed out Rihoko who was spinning around with Dani. "Sometimes, it is times like this where you share your powers with her that brings forth a connection that only a mother and daughter can share." Masane felt better at this.

"Well if you can teach me more of the History of the Witchblade, I think I can handle things better."

"Okay... Long ago there were sixteen items... Each item representing an aspect of the gears of the universe. Some of these items were created at the start of time, but over the centuries others were created and..."

* * *

TBC

Well More next chapter,

If anyone has any character or story ideas let me know

I already have a Dark Cloneblade in the process of being made (Thanks Spartan)

If you have ideas of ExCons, I-Weapons, Superhero gear, Superheroes, Villains, or NeoGenes (both Good and Evil) let me know.

Now take your mouse, move it over to the little green button below that says "Review this Story/Chapter" and leave a reply

The Author awaits your reply

Hearns


	17. Chapter 17

Chapter 17: Lesson, Plans, Future...

* * *

Masane flopped onto the couch behind her as she reached over and pulled the blanket around her body... Having dropped her armor off, she looked at her now naked arm. She didn't know what to think... Talk about revelation... Sara sat down next to her...

"Masane are you okay?" Sara reached out to her... Masane was in shock... It couldn't be... She looked at the book that laid on the table before her.

"Ohara Yasuka" Masane was licking her lips to keep her mouth moist... Sara was getting concerned.

"Who?" Masane's heart was racing...

"Ohara Yasuka... one of the previous bearers... in your history... that is my birth name..." Sara reached out and hugged her when her detective instincts kicked in and noticed the information before her.

"So... learning that your curse or destiny... belonged you any ways..." Masane felt scared... That was when she felt Sara rubbing her back. "It's going to be okay..." Masane reached out and rubbed Sara's back.

"I thought that I was an intermediate bearer for my daughter... now... I learn that I am tied to the bloodline of the Witchblade..." Sara reached over and pulled the book up and placed it in her and Masane's lap. Masane looked a little embarrassed at doing this but, seeing that dropping the armor was what scared her the most, Sara understood.

"Hey... Don't worry Masane... Just be glad that you are not some reincarnation of a previous bearer," Sara grinned at this. "That is my case..." Masane had a large teardrop by her head appear at this.

"Yeah..." Masane pulled the cover closer over her body. Sara looked at this woman who was her successor. "... I mean I know that this is a dream, and I am interacting with the past memories of a previous bearer, but I keep getting the feeling that..."

"That this is more real than you think..." Sara grinned at this. "Trust me, the information overload that occurs when you do these dream trips takes a lot out of you. But you do learn a lot." Sara pointed at the name on the written page.

"Yeah that fate doesn't take chances. That there are more beings with Witchblade-que powers running around and..."

"And that you are going to be able to do much. I won't sugarcoat it for you, you are going to have some tough days, loose people along the way. Even a few that you love, like my friend Jake..." Sara had a tear come to her eye. "But once you know that you can make a difference, even a little bit even without using your powers, then you know that this world has become a little better place for you and other around you." Masane cheered up some as she felt the Witchblade grow around her naked form and cloth her.

Masane rose up, still with the blanket around her and headed to the nearest mirror. Pulling the blanket away she noticed that her armor was different. Instead of looking like a busty Stripper, she looked like... Well she turned sideways then further to see her behind. It looked like she was wearing body armor over a full body leotard. Touching the section on her skin, it felt more like... soft metallic screen. Well cloth insect screen. There was enough about this new armor that despite it looking different, it looked like a more conservative version of her Red Armor.

_You like, I mirrored the design of armor that one of my previous bearers favored and threw in some modifications of one my bearers had, who like you had a large bust. _Masane traced this new revised armor with her hands... It felt comfortable, less stripper-like. She Sucked in her breath and let it out, bent down in front of the mirror first presentable, then at profile. When she turned around to see her behind. she blushed... even her behind was covered.

"Thank you..." Masane said aloud to the Witchblade. Sara looked at the armor and grinned.

"Well I believe that you have found the armor that you will be using from now on." Sara reached out and touched Masane's shoulder. Masane moved her head to see Sara armored up as well, but her armor looked dark, but nice on her. "Watch out Masane, the Witchblade tends to butter its bearers up with all sorts of things, and sometimes you have to tell it who is boss, that and watch out for some of the dreams and the urges. When it decides to do something against your will, you have to step in and tell it that you are in charge." Sara said to Masane in a stern tone of voice. "Then there are individuals who will play you with their powers to control the Witchblade." With that Sara took Masane by the hand and showed her the events of the Witchblade wars.

* * *

Rihoko loved this dancing. The woman, Dani moved with such grace that she wished that she or her mom could move like that. Dani sat down on the floor before her and rubbed Rihoko shoulder.

"Hey there..." Dani said as she studied the girl's face. "is there on your mind?" Rihoko looked away for a moment before looking back at Dani.

"Dani-san... I know that my mom has powers..."

"Which Mom? Because I have sensed from the Witchblade that you have links to the blade twice. Once through Masane, your adoptive mother and additionally through your birth mother, Riena Soho." With this Rihoko was stunned by this.

"My Moms... You mean I have powers like my Moms?" Dani leaned forward and comforted the girl.

"Yes... considering that in time you will have your powers come into being. But I would suggest that you be wary of anyone who wishes to take control of your powers." With that Dani started to tell the events of her life, death, rebirth and second death.

* * *

Masane watched as Sara walked her through several doors and showed her the events of the Witchblade wars. Then she vomited… There were beings that had used Sara to kill her own student… The aftermath were that student's lover Finch… Became Angelus's vassal… The battles… the events the stealing of the student's body, the resurrection… That was the reason she had vomited… And how her blade came into existence… Talk about what one wouldn't do for love… But raising the dead…

Masane just wanted to feel warm from all of this darkness and really dark shit… Then she felt a hand on her shoulder. A girl was grinning at her. She turned to see Dani, the student who had been brought back from the dead.

"Yeah... I know the feeling..." Masane was scared but, the look in this Dani's eyes showed that she understood the images she was seeing. "Watch... You will see how your half of the blade was foraged." Turning back Masane saw a little girl, Hope... She walked over to the Dead body and... Masane had to blink a few times to see what was happening. The girl had armor... Then she reached under the dead woman's head and... A part of her armor wrapped around Dani's body. Angelus just cringed backwards attempting to get to her love, but was stopped as...

The girl had placed part of her armor onto a now breathing, half naked, Dani... Angelus... saw what had happened as Dani reached up and walked slowly over to Angelus/Finch...

"Finch... Don't hurt Sara..." With that Angelus stopped trying to attack as her spear fell to the ground. That was when the child spoke.

"Angelus..." The young girl who looked younger than Riko. Took Dani by the hand and walked her over to Angelus... "Here is Dani... You miss her... I know I am not human, but I am of Witchblade... I gave her part of my blade. Balance... You are light, but light means nothing without darkness. You wish order, but you heart is in disorder. Dani is balance... Balance you need. That was when Hope reached out and took Angelus by the hand and brought Dani's hand into her."

"Finch..." With that Angelus became docile and the armor retracted from Finch's face.

"Angelus, you are family, you need to be happy, I am family, Finch is part of your family, Dani is part of your family..." That was when Rihoko looked at the little girl as she walked next to her mom. "You need not fight, your heralds they obey you, but they have wills of their own, like the blade, like me, like you..." Angelus, didn't remove itself from Finch's body but glowed around her. "You are a Mom... But even Mommies need love. Grandma." With that Angelus and Finch relaxed as the Angelus forgot all the memories that it had gathered over the centuries of raw emotion of its previous bearers and was born anew.

"Child... You wish not to destroy me, like my previous host?" Finch/Angelus spoke cautiously.

"No... You are not a bad person, you just want order. My Mommy does Law and Order..." With that Hope reached out and Angelus started to cry. Taking a tear from Angelus she moved over to Dani and touched the blade that Hope had created from her fragment of Witchblade. "There... a new blade, like Mommy's..." Angelus let go and let Finch emerge from the armor naked. Dani rushed over and held her friend/and more close.

"Finch..." Dani blurted out as she held the human form of Angelus's link to the mortal world in her arms. While that was happening Hope moved over to the now disembodied flaming spirit and touched the being.

"Angelus... Don't leave... you are part of this family, I am a child of the Blade, I wish you to say. Finch need you, and you need her... You are not perfect, but I think that if you leave the past in the past, you can start fresh. Which is good. Finch needs the order you can give her, and Finch can give you what you need. A bond to human... Human..."

"Humanity." Dani spoke up to her friend who was sobbing with tears of joy.

"Humity..." Hope said botching the word. But Angelus go the point. Hope taking the flaming spirit by the hand, lead the being over the Finch and knelt down next to her. Finch looked scared as Dani raised a hand to form a blade but Hope had her lower her arm down.

"See... You light, but if it is always bright, where are the colors..." Hope held out some crayons that lay on the ground. "It is the shades of colors that make the world worth living in." Hope offered a yellow crayon, then a red, then a blue. "A prizum... breaks while light into many colors, all of which are beautiful. They make a single white color into many. Dani allows for colors to come about for Finch. She needs that and you need her. Where is the beauty if everything is just black and white? Emotions are colorful and you need to feel to have emotions." Angelus was slowly catching on. "Alone, you are weak, but with others, who give you colors and emotions, you can become strong." Angelus seemed to get the point. With a Touch on Finch's forehead, the two communicated in unspoken language and Angelus understood. Hugging Hope she moved from the little girl and touched Finch's forehead in and became one with Finch.

Masane blinked a few times to see that this new Angelus was more tamer, then... Masane had to cover Riko's eyes but the damage was done as she spoke the words:

"Mom, they are kissing?"

"Yeah..." Sara moved in and knelt down as she watched her Double come to the realization that her child had powers that were on par with the Angelus, Darkness, and the Witchblade. "Not everyday that you find out that your child has the ability to create another Witchblade." Sara reached over to Masane's shoulder. Masane was awestruck at what she had seen.

"Yeah, being back from the dead did create a few issues such as, how do you legally come back from the dead." Dani said leaning onto the side of a roof air duct. "But Angelus was quiet for a time as she let Finch run things." The scene on the roof changed to later. Hope was playing with a playhouse full of dolls. And Finch, now fully clothed and human looking played with the little girl. That was when Masane saw it. Several of the dolls were shaped as... Witchblade, Angelus, Darkness, and several had their human hosts appearances.

"Finch, I like you..." The young dancer played house with the dolls, In her hands was the purple armored angel she became.

"I know..." Finch grinned at the young girl. "You know if I ever have a child, I want her to be like you." Hope giggled at that. The glowing light slowly emitted from Finch's hand and she formed another doll. "Here is another Doll me and Angelus Created for you... Little bringer of Hope." The girl took the doll and played with it as it joined the family of other dolls she had.

"Finch, Hope... dinner..." It was Sara's voice being called out.

"Coming..." Finch yelled as she changed into her Angelus form. "Hey, Hope how about we glide down to your apartment." Hope jumped a few times as she armored up and pulled her dolls into her little backpack and jumped into Finch's arms. In a blink of an eye they were flying.

"During this time, Dani's duplicate blade allowed her to have the same powers as mine did, even at times Hope helped in transferring memories between the two so that balance between the two blades was kept constant. But with all children, they grow up and leave the nest." Sara spoke softly as they were in a different apartment.

"Hey Dani... Is this your bra or mine?" Finch said started to go through clothing.

"Let me take a look," with that a little older Dani moved over and looked at the bra. "Your's before you know..." Dani gestured to an imaginary rounded belly. The Angelus host blushed. "Yeah..." Finch giggled as she reached down and rubbed her belly. "I think Angelus wants to be a mommy again." With that a flaming light figure emerged from nowhere and reached over and rubbed Finch's belly. It was strange seeing Angelus like this, far different than the scary woman that Masane had encountered at her trial. But turning to Rihoko she understood. Being a mother brings out the best in a person.

"That was when Dani and Finch moved out of New York and headed to Texas so that Dani could take over as head of the Lonestar Ballet. Finch who was planning to take over in a year or two after their child was old enough to be dropped off at daycare. But it was the fateful day when the Lonestar Ballet got asked to play in Japan." Masane understood that this is where Dani's story was starting to come to an end. Dani started to cry as she reached out to touch her friend/lover. That was when another bearer came into the pictures wearing green armor. Masane gasped when she saw her age.

"My name is Taki... I was the bearer after Dani." Riko looked at the girl who was nearly three times her age. "Dani was slain battling a Youkai demon and Angelus was so devastated that she searched for years looking for Dani's blade so that she could learn where this Bearers body was laid. The reason she searched was so that Finch her host could have Dani's body laid to rest in her native land." That was when another bearer walked up to her and took her hand.

"I am Yuri, I was the bearer after Taki here who lost her battle after the Puppet master returned to mess with the destiny of the blade." The girl coughed and Masane could see blood on the back of her hand. "Sorry... I was ill when I became the bearer. But I performed my duties as the Witchblade healed my body when it could." That was when Masane saw a woman come up before her. That was when she started to worry.

"I am Riena..." That was when the image started to flicker.

"So this bearer is still alive..." Sara spoke as the memory Riena started to fade away and the Witchblade in its avatar form moved forward to connect with the image... Then... Masane and Rihoko were in the one place she didn't want to see again. The Other Realm.

* * *

Maria was looking at Muraki with her jaw on the floor. This was the man that her Mom had befriended. he seem very nice, not like Father, but how true father should behave... he didn't lie to her, he told that he had been transformed into a monster that fed off the blood of innocent women, but had been slain by the Witchblade when he pleaded for her to end his life, then he arrived here... Well Darkness and Angelus saw the good in his soul and decided to make him their servant. When the NeoGenes who had been slain by ExCons and the Purge by Furumitzu's followers during the Battle of Tokyo had been brought here via the Bridge the Witchblade had created. Muraki had become the warden and parental teacher of these girls as they started to get their lives started over again. Yagi another ExCon... Well ExCon slash CloneBlade Hybrid had been brought here; Muraki had taken the young man underneath his wing.

Her mom who like the others NeoGenes who had emerged from the regeneration pods around the Other Realm had at first been afraid of the older man given that he didn't want to hurt the girls because of his earthly actions as an ExCon. But over time, the girls had become his friends. Muraki gave off this feeling of someone who gave a damn about you, now when he said he didn't have the answers about something; he would go with you and search to find the answers so that you learned it at the same time.

Maria felt that he would look like a nice man who wore somewhat slept in clothes and a trench coat, but would give the advice that she craved. Kinda of that wise old man, that she read about in the literature, who would give wisdom from a lifetime of hard fought battles to green warrior who wished to learn from them. When Muraki moved over to a table and offered her and Shiori up a cup of tea Maria just felt safe...

"So Maria..." Muraki reached over and slowly poured a cup of soft sweet tea into a glass as Maria and Shiori sat down at the traditional low built Japanese table that he had set up by the shooting range. "I can tell that you are wondering how your Mom and I know eachother?" Maria nodded at this.

"Sempai Muraki..." Maria tried to put the words into the ight context. After being lied to for so long by a false biological father, this was the man who in her eyes she wanted to be her Dad, well someone close to him. "I wish to know more about you?" Maria bowed before the man. A soft grin moved across Muraki's face.

"Well Miss Maria..." Maria almost blushed at this. Yeah he was in the dad department. With that Maria listened to Muraki tell his life as a police officer. At that moment Maria swore that she would be a warrior for good. Maybe the Witchblade would accept her if she fought crime when she returned to the mortal world.

As Maria sat she heard tales, adventure, and some hard heart breaking events of the innocent taken away too soon. She cried as she remembered what it felt like to lose Aoi and her Mom... as Muraki moved from story to story she started to learn more about his fall from grace. How Muraki had been mistaken for a stalker of a popular radio DJ, how he had gotten railroaded through the system, the loss of his marriage, his suicide and eventually body jacking into being turned into an ExCon.

Maria cried for the longest time in seeing that his very gentle man had due to fate had been put through hell, but seeing that he had been given a second chance by the gods of fate she felt happy for him. With that he asked her and the several Cloneblades, the Ultimateblade user and the hosts of the Angelus and Darkness to walk with her. As they followed Muraki they started to come upon a field with strange trees sticking out of the ground that had huge pods hanging from them. Well these trees probably looked normal for this place but as Muraki approached she noticed that there were several Angels standing guard around the pods.

"These seed pods..." Muraki spoke as several of the Angels moved away to bring the gathered pods into a line. "... carry the injured and damaged NeoGenes and ExCons who were able to fight their programming to retain what humanity they had left before dying." Muraki reached over and felt one of the pods. Maria moved closer to see that the pods were semi-transparent and leaned to look in. Inside she saw... Maria nearly fell backwards at the sight before her. That was one of her sisters that she had beat to death during one of her sparring matches. Maria had to swallow several times to push her heart out of her throat and back into her chest.

"That's one of my sisters..." Muraki moved over to help Maria up.

"Yes it is..." Muraki moved over to touch another pod, this one looked a little smaller, but as he nudged it, Maria noticed that this one was ripe. "Your sister in the pod before you is nearly healed but she needs to ripen a little more for all of her injuries to be removed." Pointing towards the one he was standing by Muraki reached over and tapped it a few times. "but this one is about to return." Shiori moved over to touch the pod Muraki was standing by.

"Why don't I remember any of this?" Shiori looked around a little before realizing that she had been here before... "Wait, I do..." Shiori sprinted around the grove until she came to a spot she remembered. That was when she fell to her knees.

"Shiori..." Everyone in the group chased after her until the came to where she was at. The stench of rotten bowels and blood could be smelt where she was at.

"What happened to me?" Shiori said as she touched the ground.

"You burst out too early and there was no one around." Muraki said as he moved over to help the voluptuous woman up. "Your body hadn't fully healed and your blade wanted to die." Shiori looked scared. "Since then we have placed a guards around the grove so that those Angelus and Darkness have brought here to be healed."

Shiori and Maria looked concerned as Muraki walked them back.

"Witchblade, had some guts when its host stood up for your friends Aoi and Asagi. Without any armor she faced down Darkness and Angelus. But considering that given the trial she had after she had been nursed back to health, she decided to take responsibly for all the NeoGenes and those who bear clones of the Witchblade." Maria looked down at her wrist and it glowed. She could see the trial, Aoi's fear and anger being struck out at Angelus... Then... The Witchblade's bearer... She... Maria head was spinning as she learned that all the NeoGenes now served the Witchblade as servants... The bearer was willing to grant free will, but screw up, it would be her job to stop you and... Maria felt very naked as she realized that the Witchblade could remove her powers from her with a flick of a finger. But the after images of seeing the bearer become protective of Aoi and actually wished her no harm on her former enimy showed that Maria and the other Cloneblade/NeoGenes now stood a chance. With that Muraki took a spear he had been carrying with him and jabbed at the human fruit a few times. The girl inside started to move, then on its own, the fruit started to burst open.

Maria moved out of the way as the gushing fluid puddle on the ground around the naked girl. Kneeling down she watched as the Cloneblade on the girl's arm pulled out of a scar on her wrist and melded into a completed blade. Reaching over the rubbed the girl's shoulder as she coughed a few times. "It's okay, just take it easy." Maria looked up at Muraki for a cue for what to do next. He just nodded for her to continue to speak to the girl. The small frame of girl showed her to be a later model or ... A small NeoGene, but this was a sister as Maria watched the girl open her blue eyes and look up at her. What came out of this girl's mouth wasn't very feminine for her age: "Anata no baka, urusai."... My head hurts from the noise of your voice." With that Maria shut up and just let the girl get orientated. Maria noticed that the girl had light blue hair and almost albino skin like Asagi's.

"Maria just let the girl be for a few moments, the shock of going from not hearing, smelling, touching, or seeing anything for several months to having all of her senses back tends to push one to their limits." Muraki said as Maria got the feeling that this girl was different than any of her other sisters. Reaching over and touching the girl's blade a soft membrane of Witchblade mesh covered the girl like a blanket Muraki joined Maria in sitting on the ground. "Now we wait until she is well enough to move." Around the girl the group of Witchblades joined them in silent contemplation of the journey ahead of them. But for Maria, she knew that she wanted to be with her mom and lead these girls to a life free of Father's influence and hopefully under the leadership of the Witchblade mount to something that she herself could be proud of being.

Someone who protects people from harm.

* * *

Masane had Rihoko on her piggy back. Having her Wtichblade wrap around the girl like a backpack to support the girl. They walked. Masane didn't want to be back here, but following the path before them Masane was on the lookout for anything that might harm the two of them. That was until she made the turn around a bin and found several people talking around a square table. Moving closer she saw that one of the figures was an female Angel. that was when Wtichblade in its avatar form moved up beside Masane and tapped her on the shoulder.

_Masane..._ Witchblade had adjusted its form to look more like a knight in full armor. _I will join you, but there are several people who you have encountered before so do not act rashly when you encounter them._

"What do you mean?" Masane said as she walked slowly next to Witchblade. That was when she stopped cold and saw a woman chatting with an armored man sitting at a traditional Japanese low table.

Riena Soho...

* * *

Riena was enjoying the second round of tea that Muraki had made for them. The new Girl Lou... well given that she had spent an hour sleeping was carried over to Muraki's cabin and they were all now sitting outside of it drinking. The girl had downed several cups of tea, soup, and a side of some sort of hot porridge. Shiori had decided to stand by the girl whose small frame only accented the fact that her Cloneblade placed a white and grey color scheme on her armor. Lou's with a double reversed lightening bolt pattern that separated the grey from the white on her armor added with the white gloves and shoulder guards and the grey leggings made her look thinner than she actually was. Shiori had dropped the armor to her face and head, and so did the rest of them. They weren't going into battle anytime soon, but then they heard a voice ring out as a girl younger than Lou ran to them.

"Mister Muraki..." The girl came to a stop before them as Muraki turned to see the girl. That forced him to fall to his knees with a very full teapot in his hands as he recognized the girl.

"Rihoko?" The girl nodded, it took only a moment for Reina to see through the red hair and facial marking to see her eldest daughter.

"Yeah, it is me... Why didn't you come and meet me in the park when I brought lunch to you?"

"Riko..." At that moment the Witchblade showed up running flat out... She was panting as she arrived and given her appearance she was ready to go to war against anyone who would lay a hand on her child. ..."don't run off from Mommy like that..." Masane came to a stop as she knelt before her daughter and hugged her as she kept the double blades on her deployed. Several of the guests gave Masane the space she needed. Some of them knew, that if they any hostile action towards her or her child, or even if she remotely perceived it. Well, the most dangerous animal one can find is one that is protecting its young. "I'd get worried sick if anything would happen to you."

"Mom... This is my friend Mr. Muraki... This is the man I wanted you to meet." Rihoko motioned her hand to the old police detective. Masane turned around to see the former ExCon wave.

"Your daughter helped keep me sane, kept me going until I could find you." Muraki bowed before the woman. Maria at this time was holding on to her Mom for dear life... "So your mom is the Witchblade?" Rihoko nodded as she looked around to see other people at the table before seeing Riena and Maria.

"Miss Riena... Why are you here and how do you know Mister Muraki?" Maria fearing that she would be punished for her past actions threw herself before Masane and begged groveling on the ground.

"Witchblade... forgive me I have done many wrongs... I didn't know this girl was your child... I... I... I... Only wanted the Blade so I could bring my mother back... I will be a good girl... I slew Furumitzu before I came here... Please don't take away My Mom, or Aoi... Please... I beg of you." Reina was about to intervene but Masane raised her hand and Reina stopped where she was at. Moving to help the girl up, Masane leaned in and hugged the girl.

"I forgive you... It was not your fault; you only wanted your life back." Masane held the girl for the longest time as she started to cry. Rihoko knew better than to break this up. With that Rihoko moved over to Miss Riena... and pulled on her hand.

"Miss Riena... is that girl my Big Sister? Because that scary girl with the Rainbow hair said that she was your daughter too?" Riena knelt down before Rihoko and spoke to her.

"That girl in your mom's arms is the same girl. She grew up a little when you back with your mom. But yes, she is your sister" Riena said as Rihoko looked at and touched Reina's armor.

"Then when the Great Quake happened and Mommy found me, you lost my big sister as well?" Reina was starting to see it from the little girl's point of view. Rihoko was putting facts she had before her and linking them in a logical order. The Great Quake had broken up families and many had been reunited years later. There were several programs on television who worked hard to bring folks back together by checking records of missing persons and medical listings. Rihoko probably thought that Maria had been separated from her Mom during the quake like her and wound up with another family. So when Reina had found Rihoko and pressed for her parental rights, she had probably torn the girl away from a mother she deeply cared about, the same way that she was feeling now for Maria. Add to how violently Maria had behaved when she learned she had a sister, combine that with Furumitzu's brain wishing. Rihoko had thought that Maria was some crazy girl, but now seeing the image before her of a girl with the same hair as her's. Rihoko's logic was putting things together. Rihoko looked at her armored form then at Reina, then at Maria.

"You have powers like my Mommy too?" Rihoko spoke as her logic took over seeing the similarities in the armor.

Both Masane and Maria let go to see Rihoko draw facts together in her mind.

"So that means that I have superpowers too..." With that Rihoko ran over and grabbed Maria by the hand and pulled her over to a hill and sat her down. "So... Big sis, when did your powers kick in? Because I want to know, because I want to have fun with you, my Mom, Your Mom and Mister Muraki." Masane walked slowly over to Reina and spoke slowly.

"We need to have a very long talk." Reina nodded at this realizing what the subject matter would be.

"Okay... I'll see if I can find some wine or saki around here, because someone is going to get drunk and I am not doing it alone." Yagi said as Shiori joined him.

"I agree with you there."

* * *

Aoi was sleeping on the rollout mat on the floor. Over off to her side lay Asagi. She was scared as she rolled over in the borrowed long t-shirt. Things had changed so much in the last day or so. After a long moment, she couldn't handle it any more. The shirt was just scratchy... In one single move she sat up and pulled off the shirt. But she was faced with another problem. The cold night air. With that she fell backwards and started to cry. Asagi leaned up wearing a long bathrobe from her own bed mat.

"Aoi you okay?" Asagi's voice showed concern.

"No... It just is hitting me that Maria is dead... gone... and..." Asagi got up and slid across the floor towards Aoi and hugged her. "My Shirt itches..." Asagi reached down and opened up the bathrobe and slide out of it. Taking the large shirt from Aoi and pulling it over her head she moved and grinned at the girl.

"Here take my robe..." Asagi took the robe and covered up the half naked girl. Aoi looked scared, concerned... worried.

"No... You should have it, I just don't like..." Asagi moved over and hugged the girl in roughly the same way Masane had done to her back in the Other Realm.

"Listen, the robe is a little too light for my taste and you need to stay warm." Asagi said as she slid under the covers with Aoi. Aoi slid her arms through the robe before tying it.

"Asagi..." Aoi reached over and leaned on Asagi's body. "I know that Masane has taken my in as an apprentice." There was a pause as Aoi pulled away from Asagi and turned to face her. "I hate her... she killed Maria... but... she was truthful, she stood up for me in the Other Realm? I am her enemy... But she..." Asagi reached over and touched Aoi's face with her hand. That one thing caused Aoi to pull the robe off and drop the undergarments from her body. Quickly she armored up. Asagi wondered what was up, but Aoi needed to go through this questioning of her existence.

"But she chose to protect me. I can kill her, but...I don't know if I am to be her child, her servant... She already has a lover... if I cannot fulfill my role as serving Masane like I did with Maria's in fulfilling the role of being second in command to the sisters." Aoi fell to her knees as she started crying. "A role that she has given over to you." Asagi just moved in to comfort her sister. Despite having a appearance of apathy that she usually carried. She understood why Masane wanted her to keep an eye on Aoi. There were phases in which Aoi needed to let her feelings out.

"Aoi... You had Maria, and we were both dead... Brought back to life..." Asagi moved over and hugged Aoi. "If a power can resurrect us, why not Maria?" Aoi held onto Asagi and buried her face into her chest.

"I wish Maria was back here right now and I could smell her, touch her, and feel her presence in my life." Aoi cupped one of Asagi's breasts and squeezed it feeling the softness of the fatty mammary tissue between her fingers. "I love Maria..." Then Aoi looked up and dropped her armor. Asagi understood. Maria was Aoi's lover, a person that Aoi loved unconditionally, someone who wouldn't use her as a DNA reservior or a Baby Factory. But full complete total unrequited love. "I loved Maria." Asagi kissed Aoi on the forehead and leaned down on the mats with her letting the young girl know she wasn't alone as the girl was battling the storms of fear that were welling up inside of her.

"It's okay... If you want, you can curl up next to me." Aoi nodded at this and dragged her mat closer to Asagi's and slid under the sheets. Asagi looped some of her sheets over Aoi's bed and noticing that Aoi was naked as she slid over felt a hand slide over her breast.

"Aoi... I'll let you clasp my breasts, but if you go for my crotch or ass, I'll flick you on the nose." Aoi understood, but feeling the warmth of another body and the beat of a heart by her ear, she slept through the night a whole lot calmer. Asagi wondered what it would be like to have someone love her this way. Not a girl, but a guy, and to have sex on her terms, that they would come to an agreement that they were equals. With that she dreamed as her blade felt the lines of destiny and found a person that would become part of her life in the future.

* * *

Maria was suffering information overload from her Sister. The girl wanted to know things about her, how she had gotten here, why she had been angry at her being with Riena. A woman in Rihoko's mind was a better mom for Maria than for her. Rihoko just wanted to stay with Masane even though they were not linked by blood. But hearing the name Reiji come up with her mom's conversation with Masane the Bearer of the Witchblade and dad being mentioned in the same sentence, she figured that they both had different dads. So if Rihoko's biological Father was this Reiji guy and she wanted to be with him and Masane, then it would be like her wanting Muraki as her dad, and having both Shiori and Riena as her moms.

"Rihoko... I want to make a deal with you." Maria spoke carefully as she realized that she and Rihoko wanted the same things, but not the same people.

"Okay." Rihoko reached out and held up her hand.

"Rihoko... I want to keep my mom and..."

"I understand. You want to have your mom, and I want to have my Mom, Masane. We both get to keep the Mom's we love and want." Maria was floored by this. "I think Miss Riena likes you as a daughter more than me. I mean you are older and bigger than me and can do a lot of things she wouldn't let me to do, and she wanted me to be something I am not. But with you, she seems to be more comfortable with. I know that you threw your feet at my Mom, but I don't think she will take away your mommy. That last thing my mom wants to do to anyone is make them sad... And you were happy with Miss Reina the same way that I am happy with my Mom." With those words the hatchet between the two girls was officially buried in stone and dipped into concrete. That was when Maria hugged the stuffing out of Rihoko...

"You are the Best sister one could have." Maria was crying as she hugged Rihoko's small frame next to her then she felt a pair of small hands pounding on her.

"Can't breathe...sister, like the love, not the grip." Rihoko said between pulling enough air to speak with her sister. With that Maria loosened her hold some but with two arms covering her shoulders she felt a kiss on her face.

"Same here" as Rihoko coughed some. Maria looked as she looked at her sister coughing into her elbow. "You are really strong." Maria blushed at this.

"Yeah I am, but Aoi, the girl I love likes when hug the stuffing out of her." With that Rihoko's face went into joy.

"You know, Aoi, the cute girl that came back with my Mom?" Maria nodded at this.

"She so misses you." Rihoko looked sad.

"Tell me what she misses about me?" Maria realized that she now had more reasons to return to the Mortal world. A sister, a lover, a Mom... With that Maria decided that the first thing she would do when she returned to Earth was to hug Aoi, and if possible get all of her old outfits tailored to fit Aoi's petite frame. God... Aoi looked so cute in that black and red Corset she had even with her small breasts exposed when the cups didn't cover her small frame.

* * *

Masane looked at Riena as the two of them watched their daughter's talk. Riena didn't seem worried about Maria, considering that the last Masane had seen the girl; she had been a psychotic nut job. Now... Masane had sympathy for the girl. With that she turned to Riena.

"So..." Masane didn't know how to act, but seeing Riena's behavior and seeing how she was also nervous.

"So..."

"Listen I..." They both said at the same time. Masane felt that Riena was just as nervous about Rihoko as she was.

"Amaha..." Riena spoke softly to Masane... "Why did you use the name that was in the book?" Masane Shrugged at this.

"I don't know... I just the... the name available at the time when I found Rihoko... I couldn't remember a thing... There as a baby crying... A pregnancy book lying nearby and... There before me was the name Amaha Masane... Boom, I went from being an eighteen year-old girl to being a mom right there." Riena showed sympathy towards Masane. She hadn't known the details of Masane's existence but now she was putting facts together.

"So... you raised Rihoko as your own..." Masane got the feeling that this was going to be difficult.

"I did... She was so smart. There were a times, that I wondered who the guy was that I had bonked to create this little angel of a girl." Masane turned to watch Rihoko and her big sister talk. "But seeing you here I kinda of figured out who Rihoko's dad is now." Masane blushed.

"Reiji Takayama." Riena spoke the name out and Masane nodded.

"Yeah... Hard to believe that I fell in love with that guy." Reina was taken aback by this. "I mean between him acting like a honking gorilla at times. Underneath he is a really caring person. I think Riko likes him as a dad." Reina reached out and touched Masane on the shoulder.

"Takayama, how is he doing?" Masane got the feeling that Riena wanted more information from her.

"He's okay... after he got fired from Douji he got another job working for the IOA. Mostly he is continuing doing the job that I helped him with in hunting down ExCons and I-Weapons." Masane got the feeling that wasn't what Riena wanted.

"I mean how is he doing?" Masane got the point...

"Oh... you mean how is he doing. Well after he got fired from Douji he decided to take up employment with the IOA after the battle of Tokyo so that he could give Rihoko a future. Mostly he has been taking my reported death hard, but Rihoko has been keeping him going. Right after I returned to the mortal world... Well, he is glad that I am back from the dead. I decided to check up Rihoko after our..." Riena got the idea.

"So does he still shift to the left whenever a woman is on top?" Masane had to nod at this. Reina blushed at this. "Yeah... that is the same Takayama." With that Riena turned her gaze to the two sisters talking.

"Hard to believe that those two girls are sisters." Masane spoke as she watched how Rihoko and Maria seemed to bond and slowly start to giggle.

"Yes... And Rihoko is the eldest." This caught Masane a bit off guard, but considering that Furimizu was on the preferable clock, speeding up the ageing process so that he could have an available womb ready for his rebirth she didn't put it past the guy. No wonder Maria acted like a selfish child. She was still a kid who was about Rihoko's age. This made her think about Reina's true age. But she had to stop short because realizing those ages might make her want to throw up her lunch, dinner and the little breakfast she had been able to score from Marry's before tacking Reiji down.

"Sorry, I just realized the Maria's just still a kid."

"It is understandable... Furimizu did take many shortcuts to ensure that he would have the perfect mother available. Something I wish I should have stopped." Masane understood that Riena was much like Reiji. The Guilt of not doing the right thing was chewing her up. With that Masane turned to the woman and spoke her mind.

"Riena-san. I know that you were used. But right now the biggest thing you can do is atone for your actions." Masane looked around to see Shiori and Yagi slowly getting drunk. "I have been put in charge by the Witchblade's parents to ensure that the servants of the blade." Masane held up the Witchblade on her wrist to Reina, "are protected from harm, from those who wish to corrupt or misuse the blade for evil purposes. Now given that you have been resurrected and are caring for Maria. I will make it my duty that anyone like Furimizu does not perform a trespass on the blade or any other human/sentient or artificially created being who wishes to live a normal life." Riena started to get an idea of Masane was. "I am a mother, not by blood, but by circumstance. I will ensure that those who I protect are protected. I might not have all the skills needed, but I am willing to learn and ask those who have the aforesaid skills aid me in my fight." Masane was making a fist with her clawed hand and Reina got the raw power and strength of character this woman hand before her.

"Muraki was right." Riena spoke looking at Masane's actions. "The blade chose you not because of your bloodline; it chose you because you are a warrior at heart."

"Reina. I learned that one of my ancestors was a blade bearer. Now given all this craziness, I want to return to the moral world, see if I can get the rest of the NeoGene girls under control. Heal the damage of the trespass and be a mother to Rihoko."

"I shall return with you... I have my own sins to atone for." That was when Rihoko and Maria walked up behind them. Maria and Rihoko looked worried.

"Mom..." Both girls spoke at the same time. Masane turned to face the girls as she realized that from a distance it looked like she was threatening Reina.

"Were you talking about us?" Rihoko looked scared. Masane fell to her knees and embarrassed Rihoko.

"No... Mommy was talking to Miss Riena about the fact that I am a fighter and I will not let anything happen to you."

"That's good Mom... Because I think that I want to stay with you, Maria wants to stay with Miss Riena... But me and Maria want to see each other and visit. We are sisters." Masane was crying with joy at this time.

"That is good Rihoko." Masane watched as Maria moved over to her mom.

"Can we visit her? I mean I wouldn't mind having her as a sister... We came to an agreement that Rihoko stays with Amaha-sama and I stay with you." Maria looked like she was on the verge of having a begging can I have a puppy moment.

"Yes Maria... We can as I see that Amaha-sama has the type of strength she as to be a mother to Rihoko." With that Maria clomped onto her mom.

"YESSS Mom..." Maria screamed with joy. Reina had to take a few steps backwards to prevent herself from losing all complete balance.

"Amaha-sama... That agreement of asking for help... I wish to ask for your advice on parenting so that I can become a better mother to Maria." With that Maria hugged her mom right to the point where Reina had to cough to breath.

"Watch out, she is really strong and likes to hug the stuffing out of people she cares about."

"Now you tell me." Riena squeaked out as Maria was geeked out of her mind of this being the greatest day ever. Well... Not the greatest day ever, it was missing Aoi. But it was close enough. She had a true family now.

* * *

After much talking and several cups of coffee, Shiori and Yagi were on the verge of getting the start of their hangovers ended. Masane had learned from the Witchblade that she needed to get another Witchblade, the blade from the Pezzini family so combined with her's would be able to reopen the doorway to this realm. Masane also learned that she and Rihoko were not in the Other Realm but were projecting their astral selves into the place. So all they had to do when they woke up was to do an internet search on all the Pezzini information she had and a phone call or two later she might have the blade. When Angelus showed up and walked them over to the viewing table. Well Masane didn't need to perform an internet search, but she did need to make a phone call in that the Pezzini blade was already in Japan. Masane was a little shocked to see who the bearer was, but given she was driven to learn she wasn't alone. Masane could sympathize with the girl.

Maria who along with Shiori and Tobias the current host of the Darkness had walked to the Harem to get the girls read for their return. Muraki would aid in getting the next batch of girls ready for their return, but it would take a few months for the healing pods to ripen as all the damage done to the girls was repaired.

Rihoko put that she would make Muraki the bestest lunch ever for him when he returned and Muraki agreed. Seeing that Riena wanted to say goodbye to Rihoko she give her eldest daughter a hug and said that if things went well, they would be back together in a few days or weeks given how much work Masane had to get done for their return. With that said Riena's and Masane's earlier conversation at Muraki's table of why Masane let Rihoko cook made sense. The little things you do for your family is what matters in the eyes of a child. With that Masane and Rihoko's astral selves faded away and they awoke to a very panicked Aoi and Reiji.

* * *

Aoi pulled at the Witchblade egg that had appeared in Rihoko's room moments after she had walked into Rihoko's room. She had searched the house after Asagi had made toast for herself and Aoi. Asagi's breasts were a little too big and mushy for her tastes, but the warmth... Well, she was no Maria, but lying next to the older girl had calmed her down. After getting a sliced of jelly toast into her mouth she realized that Masane would want to have some, Aoi decided to knock on Reiji's room, only to find that he was in the room alone sleeping, deciding that Rihoko would be the next person Masane would visit, opening the door, what she saw was like a rock to her stomach.

Rihoko and Masane were not in the room, but a huge egg-like structure was sitting in the middle of the room along with Masane and Rihoko's clothes on the bed. Armoring up, Aoi started pulling at the rolled sections of the egg. That was when she screamed as part of it lashed out to grab her. A moment later Reiji and Asagi raced into the room to see Aoi trying to force her way free of the structure but it had grabbed at her again. At this Asagi armored up and raced over to pull her free, but at that moment the egg-like structure reached up and with what looked to be an eye stalk and looked at Aoi. In one quick move Aoi was released from its grip.

"What the hell is that thing?" Asagi looked at Aoi who was more freaked out by the eye stalk looking at them.

"I don't know... I came in here to find Masane and I found that...that thing in here." Aoi was pointing at the creature. Then a moment later the egg started to open up. Aoi and Asagi having their weapons deployed saw Reiji, who was also in the room with them, pull out his camera phone and cranked up the zoom to its maximum setting.

"Look like something is coming out of it." As the structure slowly started to fall away an arm stretched out. Aoi prepared for the worse was poised to attack, then a light moan came out that only would belong to one person.

"Whoa... that was different." Reiji pushed Aoi and Asagi off to the side to see, a very naked Masane and Rihoko laying there on the floor as it took the three outsiders to realize that the Egg was Masane's Witchblade. Rihoko curled up closer to her mom to stay warm as the cold air hit her naked body.

"Masane?" Reiji was more concerned but seeing that both she and Rihoko were unharmed the second thing that came to mind was. "What are you doing?" Blushing a little, Masane didn't mind that she was naked but showed more concern that her daughter was getting cold.

"Learning a thing or two about my powers, and could you hand me my night shirt and the blanket off of Rihoko's bed. I don't want our daughter to catch cold." Aoi who had been watching this play out pulled most of the covers off of the bed with the clothes and in one big heap started to hand them over to Masane. Watching Masane cover her daughter with the large white dress shirt Aoi knelt down towards the elder Witchblade and bit her lip before she leaned in as the entire egg structure had retracted itself into Masane's bracelet and hugged the woman.

That moment Masane understood that she must have scared the young girl. "It's okay Aoi... I'm not going away." Masane moved in and wiped away at the line of tears that were wet on the young girl's face.

"Promise... Because... the last time you..." Masane reached over and held the girl. "It is going to be okay, just that I learned that I have a lot to do. And I learned something. Maria is alive..." Masane watched the girl's reaction. "Here..." Masane reached out and placed her hand on the girl's forehead. A moment later, Aoi felt it, the images, the memories... Maria was alive in the Other Realm and she wanted to see her again... Masane's mission, her sisters... all of her sisters that had been in the complex the night of... They had been saved, and... Now... Masane... Aoi moved in and kissed the older woman fully on the lips.

"I love you Masane, thank you for saving Maria..." Then Aoi hugged the stuffing out of Masane. Between the fact that Masane's ribs were now being crushed under the affection overload of this young girl, she patted Aoi on the head.

"Okay I have a lot to get done in getting your girlfriend back to you." Masane felt the girl snuggle next to her.

"Okay... but knowing she is alive means that I have a lot to do in getting ready for her. Do you think that she will like that I have short hair now." Yeap... Aoi was going to be a hand full. Masane thought as she watched Asagi and the others in the house gather around her. Rihoko who was now sliding on her pajama bottoms under Masane's shirt looked at her mom.

"Maria was right about one thing. Aoi is really clinging to those she is close to." Aoi blinked a few times at this realizing that Rihoko had seen Maria and had forgiven her. That was a plus in her book. So... she was on the right track. That was when Masane spoke up.

"Aoi... could you let go, I need to go to the bathroom and pee." Aoi's response was the following.

"Just two more minutes, just knowing you were with Maria last night makes me feel better." Ninety seconds later Masane was dragging the still clinging Aoi to the bathroom with her as Nature demanded Masane's body to release her bladder.

* * *

The Sub Vocal system was based on the concept that when you tap into the nerve vibrations around the larynx and put that into a computer, you had a nearly quiet stealthy form of communication, for translation tech, well if you put something like Thirty-two gigabytes worth of processing power you had on the fly real time translation technology that could be used on the battlefield. Essentially you would have what has been called the Heroshi Translator. For Luna... Trying to read a line out loud so that this thing could be calibrated to speak stuff in her own voice. Well she was about to kill Zolton... Again...

"Mary Had a Little Lamb, It's Fleece was white as Snow. Everywhere where Mary went the lamb was sure to go." Luna looked at the unit as it ran its programming.

PROCESSING, Ha, La, Li, Le FL Wha, Whe, Whi, Ma, Ure, ah, a, zch, Ga, Oh, E,

That was when the next set of phrases came up.

PLEASE READ THE NEXT PHRASE FOR UNIT CALEBRATION.

_Ina gota of a vida..._

After speaking the first few lines of what she was saying, the realization hit her that she was speaking the lyrics to a song. Hitting pause on the unit, Luna spoke up.

"Zolton... is there any reason that I am singing the song lyrics from _Iron Butterfly_?" Zolton paused in reaction as he was tapping through his own selection of songs to sing through for the computer.

"Uh... I don't know... Probably because some guy at the US Naval Language College decided that it was easier to program the units with people doing Karaoke into a mic than saying some set of nonsense phrases that you had to say twelve different w4ays so that you didn't sound like a computer." Zolton adjusted his throat mic and started to sing Billy Idol lyrics. Luna just laughed as she saw her Israeli/Pakistani born friend sing like a For Hire Wedding Singer.

Though she giggled at the way that he sung off key. But it wasn't until she heard April singing Mandy Moore songs from her blond then later her Brunette years that she decided to belt out Iron Butterfly, TaTu, and an angry pissed off Alanis Morissette. But the person that took the cake was Casey singing the Rolling Stones: Start Me Up. But seeing the chance when Zolton placed his unit down, she did a little internet search and pulled up the lyrics to an artist that if he know who sung it, he would have committed sebukino to keep his honor. But seeing the guy sing it, well... He was good singer. No wonder German chicks went nuts around this guy. But she smiled; hey the artist had a comeback as a bare-chested lifeguard and guest spot on SpongeBob Squarepants.

Luna ducked under the table quickly as she posted the video to YouTube right as the computer said the artist's name.

The artist was David Hasseloff.

* * *

TBC

* * *

Next Rescue operations are planned and meetings are set up.

Note 1:

"Anata no baka, urusai." - (You idiot, shut up.)

Thanks RPG for the help with the Japanese.

Note 2:

I lived in Europe from 89-91 so... I knew there had to be a bit of revenge, so between choices of artists to force Zolton to sing. I had Shatner, Nimoy, and Hoff... Yes, they all released albums. But there are levels of Evil a person will go through to get revenge. For a woman, the ninth level of hell is just the beginning of their fury. Just be glad I didn't have Luna start with Shatner...

This advisory statement brought to you by Hearns.

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	18. Chapter 18

Hi again, listen if anyone wants to do some fan art for this story, let me know. So if you have the time and love this story send me a few samples of images you have done from this story. I am not a stickler over style, or type of drawing, so if you draw Anime, Comic, portrait, Manga, Chibi, etc I'll accept it.

* * *

Chapter 18: Meetings, Meetings, and more Meetings.

* * *

Kiani sat in the command chair on the Blue training cruiser, Kya was curled up in the chair next to her trying to sleep a little after the adrenaline had worn off. The girl had been through a lot. What was supposed to be a simple supply mission had turned into gun and run operation trying to escape before the local authorities showed up. From what Kiani had learned about the attack, it seemed to have started out normally in getting the local clothing and money they would need before heading in land. Then the appearance of the creature seemed to be disguised as some annoying human that wouldn't leave Neri and Brit alone as they extracted funds from the currency terminal. Given that the annoying human had transformed into one of those automated creatures that had driven past the colony and attacked. The four elder youths had been pressed into a fight for survival.

No wonder from the media footage of the Witchblade and her counterparts decided to fight these things. They were a threat to all sentient life.

Shit. If these things had camouflage, how many could be in the colony right now, waiting for orders.

She needed some more intelligence on the matter.

Kiani decided to tap into the Surface military broadcast bands in this area to hear the information that was coming into about these beings. Now given that these things had attacked a surface city, there would be a military presence about the place. Tapping to a few commands in to view the current troop movements in the area. That was when she found her lead.

Admiral Sheppard. The image came up on the screen as statistics and operational activity were shown on the tablet computer terminal she had. Then she found a contact number for the communication device the surface dwellers used called a cell phone and traced it location to a local naval base.

"Well Old Friend looks like I need to pay you a visit?" Kiani said as she slowly started to read through the file about what her old friend had been through over the years they has last met. Then she stopped cold. Kiani Sheppard. He had named his child after her. This was after she had gone through the entire. Suicide by Coda.

Coda. Gargo. Wait that was another lifetime ago.

Kiani moved over and opened up the case that carried her hydrosword and traced her fingers across the handle as the computer started to place the call to Sheppard. Memories of betrayal and loss and pain flowed into her mind as she remembered those who helped her get through the darkest moments in her life.

* * *

Kiani was angry. Killian her father. He was like the humans she hated. She had been used. Princess Aspen was right. Killian should have stayed dead. She swam harder. Siphon her friend had died, her mentor Casque had warned her about the thrall of Hate. Why would a Black aid her help her. Teach her, be her father figure...

Betrayed.

She kept swimming. Even with her new powers she kept moving at speeds she didn't know she could do. Then lights on the shore. How far had she traveled?

The building looked to be of surface dweller design. She wanted the pain to go away. She wanted to be with Siphon. Her friend. Had he loved her? He had died before he could announce his feelings towards her.

Loss and death. She was a creature of doom. It was her father's fault that she was this way.

She wanted to die. Wanted the blackness of death to take her. That was when something inside of her screamed. Go to the shore. Kiani felt compelled to do so. That was when she kept moving and once she hit sand under her feet, her desire to die started to worm its way into her warrior honor.

You have no honor. You are as evil as your father. Daughter of Killian. Kiani felt the sand scrape across the bottom of her feet. That was when she saw Siphon standing before her.

"Kiani... Please listen to me; don't listen to the voice."

YOU HAVE NO HONOR. The voice screamed again.

"Go AWAY. You are dead." Kiani ran away from her dead friend, her heart pounding in her chest.

"Kiani. Please get to the house."

BETRAYER. DEATH BRINGER. NO WONDER PEOPLE LEAVE YOU.

"Kiani. Please get to the house." Siphon appeared blocking her path; Kiani shifted her run and bolted around him.

Kiani ran hard as she produced her sword from her armor and started to wave it around at the invisible voice.

KIANI... YOU ARE WEAK, NO WONDER PEOPLE TAKE ADVANTAGE OF YOU.

That was when Siphon appeared before her and she bolted again, this time up a set of wooden steps her heart pounding. Before her at the top of the stairs was a sliding glass door and a light. There was a human woman inside. HUMAN... They had killed her people, her friends. Her Siphon... Rage took hold of her as she screamed and crashed through the glass not caring about the cuts she received on her exposed naked skin.

"DIE HUMAN." Kiani screamed as she sliced at the human female with her black hair. The woman moved out of the way of her blade. Kiani slashed again. Dodged her blade.

"What are you doing in my house?" The Woman spun around Kiani and was behind her.

"Your kind killed my people. My friends." Kiani lashed out again that was when her blade was stopped by a curved blade on a spear.

"Okay. Shut up." With that the two women started to spar, Spear versus hydroblade. Anger versus calmness. Rage versus serenity. The feel of the clash of differing sharpened compounds highlighted the air as they parried, blocked, jabbed, kicked, punched, slashed. That was when Kiani's opponent lashed her blade between the water and the double hardened coral structures of her blade and rushed towards Kiani and punched her in the face, slapped her throat, and with a full grab of the back of her head was slammed into a kitchen counter.

Dazed Kiani attempted to fight back again as she tried to break her weapon free, then she felt a hand grab her wrist. In and howl of anger she turned to see the face of the person that grabbed her from fighting back.

"Sorry Kiani. But I have to save you from hurting yourself, my friend." With that Siphon's fist and the woman's fist that she was fighting went right into her face.

* * *

Kiani found herself in her bed of her childhood room.

"Hey Kiani." a familiar male voice spoke up Kiani looked up to see as she rose from the sheets Siphon. Kiani kicked up away from him only to realize that she was naked under the sheets and grabbing sheets to cover herself. For the Blue had no taboo against nudity, but there were rules. Mostly the cloth was the only weapon she had as she crouched up into a pouncing position.

"Siphon?" Kiani was scared as she padded around the sheets in a vain attempt to find a weapon under her pillow that she had always kept since her parents had died. There was none.

"Kiani listen. I know that. You blame yourself for what happened to me, that you weren't strong enough." Siphon sat down on the bed. ". That you have had your trust in people, in yourself."

"You are dead, now. Say that I am dead and take me to my mother or state that this is the underworld."

"Kiani. I loved you in life." Siphon sighed. "I know that I am physically gone. But my spirit is with you. I can't stand to see the woman I love destroy herself over and over again." Siphon reached out and touched Kiani's face. With that Kiani's emotional armor broke.

"I don't want to live." Kiani cried as she felt Siphon's body against her. "It hurts too much."

Rubbing Kiani's back Siphon comforted his friend, "its okay. You are on the path you need to be on. All the trials you have been through is to temper you for what is to come." Siphon got up. Kiani got scared by this.

"Please don't go." Kiani felt like a scared child again. She hated this feeling. Siphon moved over and moved over to a small statue that Kiani had in her room and picked it up and brought it to the bed and sat down again.

"Do you know who this statue is of?" Siphon spoke as Kiani studied the statue before her. It took her a while to read the inscription as her cobwebbed brain started working again.

GARGO OF THE CODA

WARROR OF THE KHERUBIM

ALLY OF THE BLUE

"Gargo. Wait what does some dead warrior from long ago have to deal with me being here." Kiani traced the long blade on the statue.

"Kiani read the inscription again and remember the story behind it." Siphon said softly as if there was something more urgent behind what he was saying.

"Um, wait you want me to remember a children's story about some ancient warrior who saved several of our leaders from long ago who was an outsider." Kiani felt that there was something deeper going on.

"Yes and that outsider wasn't a Human." Siphon said speaking slowly to make his point.

"Okay what does that have to do with?" Kiani felt the pain on her face for just a moment before it went away. "What was that?" Kiani's instincts kicked in.

"Kiani. Gargo fought demons that took the bodies of the living." Siphon reached up and grabbed Kiani by the shoulders.

"What does that have to do with?" The pain returned again.

"Kiani one of those demons has you and I need you to fight it." Pain again.

"Siphon?" Kiani was getting scared.

"Fight." Pain.

"Fight to live." Pain, harder.

"FIGHT." Siphon was screaming as the world went black around Kiani.

* * *

"Fight to live, you ingrate piece of substandard unenlightened being." Kiani felt Siphon's voice fade as the taste of blood started to seep into her mouth. Then feeling pain around her Kiani screamed as she clawed with all of her might.

"Siphon don't leave me again!" With that Kiani shot up from the bed she was in, arms stretched out as she smelled blood a glob congealed in one of her nostrils. That was when she felt all of the pain flowing around her body and aches in places she didn't want to know she had.

"You dare attack a Coda High Priestess." A female voice gritted out in anger. Kiani turned to see a monstrous demon creature lying on the floor with its head being pounded into pulp. "You dare. You even had the faintest thought of using a surrogate to distract me from killing you." Kiani could hear the bone crack and break under the blows.

"_Bitch._" The creature croaked out as the female that was pounding this demon's head into the ground reached into the creature's mouth and pulled hard and removed the jaw and with one quick clean move hammered the now inverted severed jawbone right into the creature's skull.

Kiani watched as the woman, now covered in demon blood turned towards her and that was when Kiani became scared for the first time in her life.

Looking right at her through the grime and the blood was Gargo of the Coda, known to Kherubim as Zealot. What came out of the woman's mouth next made her gulp.

"So, child... How is my student Casque doing? I see that you carrying a blade forged by him." That was when this woman of lore got angry. "Speak up child, I want to know for what insane reason you break into my house and threaten me and dishonor the name and teachings of one of my students." All Kiani could do was gulp and say a word that only referenced fecal material and she prayed that she wasn't up to her eyeballs in it.

* * *

Kiani returned to reality as she remembered the years she had spent with Gargo. Realizing that she wasn't alone. Having to learn to trust in herself and in others again. Humans and other beings she learned came in shades of gray, not all of them were bad, and some were good. But she did have a tendency of be xenophobic, but not so much because of Gargo. She had a hatred that had no basis, well not against an entire species. But those like Maylander, she had to deal with the fact that he was like her father. Only until reason and level heads emerged victorious over ignorance, that you could find your true enemy.

The human adage, Know your enemy and know yourself was the hardest lesson for Kiani to learn. She had to learn to trust, and if it wasn't for Gargo's lessons during her time on the surface world and people like Sheppard, Maylander would have destroyed all life on the planet out of the ideal: enemy unknown must destroy.

Turning to see Kya sleeping in the chair, she wanted to make sure that girl never knew that pain of that lesson. With that she walked back onto the command deck and set course for mainland. She had to meet with somebody to get some answers, and hopefully learn how to fight this new threat to her people and end it. She must learn all she could learn of this new foe and thus understand herself better and for the sake of these children, she was now racing against time to do so.

The phone picked up and Sheppard's voice came through.

"Sheppard, its Kiani..." She let Sheppard remember who she was.

"Kiani!" Sheppard nearly jumped out of his skin, at the reference of her speaking to him.

"Sheppard... Listen, I'm in the area and we need to talk..." Kiani paused. "I know that you know about the Blue cruiser that is sitting off of the coast of Japan, well I'm on it and." Kiani exhaled hard. "Crap... Sheppard... you are my friend and right now I believe we have the same problem on our mutual plates." The weariness in her voice became apparent to Sheppard.

"Kiani... man talk about getting in touch with someone from out of the preferable blue. Listen does this have to do with the fact that your people want you to find out why an army of automated weapons drove pass one of your colonies?" Kiani understood that Sheppard was on shaky ground here.

"Sheppard, we need to meet. Please... The crew I have here on this vessel are just children and several of them got attacked during a supply run on shore by one of those things."

"Shit..." Sheppard cursed.

"We didn't lose any, but for right now they are resting. I learned from your Military Data Network that you are in charge of dealing with these weapons, I need to speak with others who have fought these things." There was a long sigh on the other end of the line.

"Do you have any human looking civilian clothing?" Sheppard spoke up slowly.

"Yes, that was part of the supply run on shore."

"Good, I need you to meet me in the morning at a placed called Buka Dog." Kiani grinned.

"I know of it, we ate there when I told you I was getting married."

"And Pregnant with your first child." Kiani blushed.

"Yeah... I heard about your family, how is your daughter doing?"

"She is doing well, Became a doctor. Yours?"

"Undersea Science officer working on Archeology."

"That's nice... Good to see that our children have gotten away from having to spill blood."

"Yeah... But these weapons..." Kiani's words didn't need to be finished.

"I agree with you there. Looks like we might have to pool some resources to taking all of these units down." Sheppard's words stuck with her as she realized that the Humans and Blue might have to pool their skill sets together to get rid of these things permanently. Maybe that was the real reason that the Witchblade and her counterparts had appeared in such numbers.

"Meet you for breakfast Sheppard so we can figure out what both our people can do for each other next." Kiani said realizing that she might need to bring some more options to the table.

"Will do, see you in the morning."

"Tell your daughter that her namesake says Hi."

"I'll tell her that, bye." With that the line went dead.

Kiani looked at the order she had received from the High Council. Make Contact with the Witchblade.

She needed to get in-touch with the Witchblade and her counterparts if she would have any chance to defend her people from this new type of weapon. From her Conversation with Sheppard, even the Human Military was having difficulty dealing with them too.

With that thought in her mind she started a computer search. Kiani found the names of several people that had come into contact with one of the most powerful of the Witchblades, which was probably their leader and decided that giving the kids a new mission. Find the following people and see if they could meet with the Leader of the Witchblades:

Reiji Takayama

Yuusuke Tozawa

Akira Nakata

Kyouko Sasaki

Hopefully one of them would lead her to where the leader of the Witchblades lived.

"Gargo, I hope that I am doing the right thing by doing this?" Kiani said to herself as the computer started to point out the paths she needed to perform surveillance on these individuals.

* * *

Lord Migura was studying the data that Deamon had gotten for him. Interesting stuff. This Witchblade bearer seemed to have the Okinawa Blade, and the Witchblade Bearer from the United States was now in the country. Things were going to get interesting.

Migura put a call on his smart phone to one of the fellow members of the Thirteen, West Gibson. Gibson's father who had been a member of the Thirteen since its resurrection back in the early twenty-first century had been quite an interesting person. A Child of a long line of superhuman assassins who could bend bullets in flight. But once gaining the Loom of Fate, he had become something more powerful. A creature of pure power. It was logical to recruit him into the Thirteen, though Migura's predecessor did have to be wary of a guy who took out his fellow assassins when Fate dictated him to do so. But an individual such as this did have some advantage.

So booting up the VOIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) application on his phone, Migura placed his call. Now given the fact that you are dealing with an assassin who can curve bullets around corners. So it also pays to have a cloak of invisibility and a piece of force field technology. So ducking behind a wall of armored plating and turning on the shields the call connected.

After the phone rang a few times he got through to West. A child born to two Fraternity of Assassins members from another set from another set from the same fore said organization tended to create a being that was super dangerous, so he was lucky that the guy wasn't packing a nuke that was aimed at him right now.

"Migura you better have good reason of calling me at this time. I am right now on a job." West said as the sounds of his heartbeats slowed down over the phone.

"West, I was calling to get an update on the status of getting the ExCon and I-Weapon data." There was a pause before West continued.

"What do you think is the job I am on? Hold on, I need to put you on hold." With that Bee Gee's music started playing over the phone for at least two songs. Then the line picked up again. "Okay people are dead. Wait." There was a phut, phut of a silence handgun. "Okay we can talk now. Tell Deamon that he/she/it will have that data delivered to them ASAP."

"I will tell Deamon the news immediately." Migura had to fight back a cough fearing the large body count that just went down on the other side of the phone.

"Good, make sure that the money is in my account and I'll be back in Japan on the next flight out." West said as he made crunching sounds of glass on the floor as he walked.

"Thanks boss, tell the rest of the gang that I should be ready for a serious action after this, and tell the girls that I got the items on their shopping list they asked for."

"I will." Migura spoke relived.

"And Migura you don't have to keep calling me from that bomb shelter you duck into. Because for all you know, I could have trained some rats to eat through the walls that have been packed with high explosive and blow up when they hit the IP router code on your phone. If it is your time to die, then it is. But only I and the other members of the Fraternity who have seen the prophecy on the Loom of Fate know the place, time and date you will die. But understand you die anytime soon or at least in the next few hours days or weeks, but it is hard to figure out with you de-ascended beings when you decide to move from one form of existence to another."

"Nice to know." Migura slid down the wall.

"Good. Oh and don't squish Harvey."

"Harvey. Who's." At that moment there was a small squeal as Migura shot up to see a rat on the floor with a wrist watch attached to its body with wires running into it. "Is Harvey some large brown Chinese Norwegian Rat that happens to have a watch attached to his body?"

"Yeap. So you found Harvey."

"Is he going to blow up?" Migura spoke carefully fearing the small creature on the floor.

"No. But I decided to let you know that this is the day that I wanted you to know that if I wanted you dead, you would now be dead. So stop ducking into that safe room. Your girlfriend really hates it. That and if you are going to use that room for anything, I would use it as a home theater room or a wine cellar, just depending on how much you drink."

"So this is an intervention."

"Oh Hell No. Your significant other wants you to turn that room into someplace that is your own personal Man Cave so you can move your stuff out of those two rooms she has been eyeing on turning into something for you to have kids."

"She is a being between life and death."

"That doesn't mean you can't adopt or clone. Her clock is ticking."

"Oh." Then it hit. "OH..."

"Hell even Succubae want to have babies. And trust me; I have more phone numbers for those girls than I want to know."

"You had sex with Succubae?"

"Twins."

"Twins. Wait you mean..."

"Yeah those two... the ones that happen to be pregnant in the organization. Who do you think is the father of those kids is? They can Futari each other with feau artificial fallacies, but when push comes to shove, they need batter for the mix which I happily supplied for their maternal oven cooking needs."

"So... "

"So Lady Starfall wants you to get your ass out of that moldy room, head your ass upstairs and start looking over adoption papers with her."

"Okay..."

"Dude... you have about thirty seconds left to get your ass moving because that is the default time I set on the timer on Harvey when the proximity timer kicked in."

"Oh Shit..." With that Migura started to haul ass from where he was at for the door as the sound of small explosion went off. Though the rat didn't explode, it was left temporarily tone deaf and blinded from the flash and speaker going off on its body. The things one has to go through to start a family.

Even if the misses had to hire someone to put a gun to your head to get off your butt to deal with ever clicking biological clock.

* * *

Muraki walked with Tobias and Cleo to one of the converted Harems/Dorms that the NeoGenes had been placed in. With the group of NeoGenes and Witchblade Clones a few former I-Weapons moved with them taking up Muraki's path of redemption.

Between Maria and the New girl who stated that her name was Lou; both of them where keeping a good distance from each other just given that Maria's street cred of being a sister killer needed to be seriously dumped and atoned for with the rest of her fellow sisters. Maria seemed more sure of herself but seeing how Lou looked at her with disgust. Maria decided that from this day forth she would atone for her past actions she had committed against all of her sisters and become their defender: A servant of the True Witchblade.

Cleo moved up to Maria as she walked. Maria looked cautiously at her and bit her lip unsure what to do next. Cleo decided to speak first.

"Maria-san." Cleo spoke softly to her. "I see that your recently resurrected sister doesn't like you." Maria bit her lip.

"You can tell." Maria said worried, but understood where Cleo was coming from as Maria knew in the back of her mind that she wasn't on top any more in this new social ladder she was now part of.

"Yes. I know of your past actions." Maria got worried. "But given that the situation you were in and how you were used. I believe that Lou would understand if you decided to see things from her point of view." Cleo kept walking with Maria.

"The only way that she would feel better about me being within sight of her is that she would probably have to start beating me to death." Maria said worried.

"Do you believe that your death by her hands would make her feel any better?" Cleo moved ahead of her and reached out her hand.

"Yes it would. I killed so many sisters by my hand." Maria clenched her bare fists so hard that she broke the skin in her palms. "I just wanted to be better, to get Father's approval." Maria's energy drained as she stopped and looked away in shame as the entire group around her came to a halt. "I just wanted to know who my mother was." With this Reina moved up through the group and hugged her daughter.

"Maria, you shouldn't feel sad about having those feelings. I too wanted to know who my mother was." Reina moved her thumb softly across her daughter's face and wiped away a tear.

"You did." Maria choked her confirmation through her tears. Riena nodded.

"Yes. Mostly for me it was something intellectual, but now I know that I wondered what my mother thought about me as I do you and your sister Rihoko." Maria started to understand that her Mom not only loved her but understood some of the very same issues she was raising in her mind.

"Mom." Maria leaned in and sucked in her mother's scent as it comforted her. "I'm sorry..." Maria felt the warmth of her mother's body against her as she felt a hand rub her lower back.

"I understand." Reina spoke up slowly to her daughter as the part of her that had resurfaced while with Rihoko let this being that was fifty percent of her genetic material that it was alright to feel pain.

Cleo, Angelus's incarnate servant patted Maria on the back and watched as the group understood that this moment was very important in allowing the now maturing Maria to become her own person. For what was coming Cleo hoped that Maria and the others here would along with Witchblade be able to help liberate this realm of those who wish to leave.

Damn the Thirteen and their rules.

* * *

Masane walked into Reiji's office and moved over to the computer and placed the wireless earpiece in her ear so that

After Aoi's clomping onto her for dear life after hearing that Maria was alive, well, Masane asked the Witchblade to give her a course of how to teach Aoi to communicate with Maria again. After a moment or so, Witchblade stated that it would have to recoup over the next few days before it did another mind link back to the Other Realm, but he stated that if Masane didn't power up or transform for the next day or so then probably by midnight or earlier they would be able to teach Aoi. With that Masane decided to let Witchblade catch some Zs. Doing some searches on the information Witchblade had given her on the previous bearers.

Asagi walked into the room as Masane started to use the voice commands that she learned while being Reiji's "Secretary." It was strange in that most of the software did what she asked given that she just had to learn how to phrase the questions to it. That and IT had made sure that if she said "delete" or "Format hard drive" would require her says yes at least several times before she killed the computer's brain.

"Drago, Up. Do Search, Internet and Databases for following words, Sara Pizzini, Pizzini spelle I. Law Enforcement. New York Officer of the year. Family, Obituaries. Hope Pizzini, Pizzini with same search spelling." With that a Tiled set of windows opened up on the computer screen and the computer started to crunch its search as results were matched and cross checked with the information in the other windows.

"Masane-san" Asagi moved over to the desk and sat on the edge. Asagi has scooped up some of Masane's old clothes for herself and pouched one of Masane's large Sport Bras for herself. "I know that your recent discovery of your other powers has had you." Asagi was sorting out what to say next.

"Concerned, yeah I get that. I mean the most vicious pain in my Ass with the Witchblade's attitude has changed, seeing that it is now listening to me." Asagi interjected.

"And you are able to hear it speak to you." Asagi held up her remaining blade on her wrist. "Mine has started to speak to me." She shrugged. "And it seems that it wants to know what I want to do. Mostly I think that it is just watching and learning who I am." Masane nodded.

"Well, talk to it, ask what it wants." Masane leaned back in the chair. "I mean I am doing this internet search trying to figure out more about one of it's." Masane caught herself and decided to state Witchblade's gender correctly to Asagi. "His previous bearers."

"His... As in your blade is a He?" Asagi blinked a few times looking at Masane's wrist before looking at her own blade.

"Yes. He as Witchblade is a Male." Asagi got scared as she poked her own blade.

"Asagi, what gender is your Blade?" Masane's question stuck in the air as Asagi worriedly started to mentally ask what Gender her blade was, then slowly looking like she was on the verge of hearing the worse news in existence wincing in pain, then she stopped and blinked a few times as she said:

"Could you say that again?" Asagi blinked a few times as she touched her own blade softly and almost looked upset as she slowly started to rub her blade. Masane was about to get up out of her chair as Asagi stopped her by raising her hand.

"Sorry," Asagi looked down at her own blade now biting her lip and slowly started communicating with it with her mind. After a long moment Asagi started to grin.

"That is what you want your name to be?" Asagi's blade slowly turned into a claw on Asagi's hand and the eye on the blade blinked a few times and Masane could see the personality of the blade start to show through. "Okay. Blue Rose." Asagi grinned as she rubbed her own blade softly.

"Blue Rose?" Masane wondered what it meant to Asagi turned to her.

"My Favorite Flower." Asagi spoke up as she armored up. "Do you have Mariko-San's phone number around here?" Asagi felt a little different, but it was as if her Cloneblade and she had started to get to understand each other.

"Yes I do. Reiji has it in his contact list on his computer. Why do you ask?" Asagi blushed so hard that it showed through the blue tint of her armored skin.

"Well, Rose here showed me something that I've wanted, but I need to apologize to your friend Mariko-san for being inconsiderate to her."

"What did you want?" Masane wondered what Rose had offered to Asagi to make her ask for Mari's phone number.

"Um, and that I got to see some of Mariko's past due to Rose showing me what powers she has and. My wish to... Asagi was grinning." She looked away for a bit, but Masane understood.

"You want a mom, it doesn't have to be one of blood, but you want a mom." Asagi nodded.

"That and a Boyfriend."

"Wait, you want to hump..." Masane winced.

"Not the porn guy. A patron of Mariko's. I feel that something is drawing me to him. It feels. The only way I can term it is, Good." Masane understood what this feeling met as she had felt it too around Reiji. It didn't fall into place fully when she, Rihoko and him were driving together on the highway when she had to reveal her powers to her daughter for the first time. That everything fell into place.

Masane Got out her chair and hugged Asagi. Asagi felt a little taken back by this, but the soft feeling she was having showed that she had made her own discovery that Masane had learned from her own Blade that granted her so much power.

"Give me a second to so that I can print out Mari's phone number." With that Masane clicked on the computer Icon and brought up Reiji's e-mail application and found the contact list and hit print. A moment later the inkjet printer in the office started its roving head and a second later the sheet of recycle computer paper rolled into the tray. "Here, Call Mari and tell her that you were calling to see if you can swing by later." Asagi noticed that after years of lying low at the NSWF NeoGene compound that these emotions and desires she was having were starting to surface and though while scary, it felt kinda of good.

"Thanks." Asagi took the paper and felt the edges of it in her hands. "Hope that your search on this Sara person goes well." Masane nodded.

"Well." The computer beeped as it announced that the search had completed. "I'm about to learn more about Sara and this Hope person that Witchblade talked about." Asagi nodded.

"Well I hope that you are rested up to teach Aoi how to talk with Maria again, because I think another night of Aoi missing the girl she loves is going to be torture for the both of us because Aoi has this tendency to drool on the nearest warm body she snuggles up to." Masane winced at that image.

"No wonder the front of your night shirt last night looked like you participated in a wet t-shirt contest." Asagi shrugged.

"The Drool I can live with to a point." There was a pause. "It is that Aoi has the grip of a vice out of her armor when she wants her head on her favorite boob pillow." Masane processed that imagery seeing how Rihoko was the same way.

"Don't worry about it, Rihoko does the same thing to me, minus the drool! Have Aoi wear a bandana over her mouth tonight. Might solve a few problems."

"Or get Aoi a full body pillow made out of sponges?"

"Yeah." Masane realized that having these two around from now on might be making her life more interesting.

With that Asagi left the room to call Mariko and Masane started her reading.

* * *

The Dollhouse compound was a former "Bad Guy" facility that had been run several years ago by a cabal of criminals who had ties to the TRUST a multinational organization of power brokers who had access to some serious alien tech. This tech tended to be used to commit crimes so advanced that regular authorities had problems tracking down those individuals who had done the deed. Since the Dollhouse's discovery and eventual seizure by International Oversight Authority, it had become a base of operations for those who sought to put a stop to violation to human and sentient being rights. The place had many residents over the years who had come through its doors, but the one of current interest that was being cared for by some of the staff was a girl name Ren.

Now, Ren was twelve years old, well physically twelve, but her memories only went back a few weeks since several members of the IOA had found her in an abandoned lab facility walking around wearing little more than a side less blue medical gown and playing with a few stray cats. Several of the agents had decided from interviewing the girl that for the time being having her live with the residents of the Dollhouse would provide them insight of the complex they had found her and hopefully find out what had happened to her.

Given the girl's innocence, she had started to work her way into the heart of one of the Agents that lived there with their families as she slowly adjusted to having a normal life. Since then one of the Dollhouse personnel named Echo had taken the girl with her family and was teaching her to function in human society. But watching Echo, one of the residents of this IOA facility who had become a foster mother to the girl pack her bag, the girl looked a bit worried if the woman was leaving due to something she had done.

* * *

Echo who was one of the humans who had been experimented upon in the Dollhouse complex and had joined IOA to help give back to the people that aided her in getting her life started again. She saw a bit of herself in the twelve year old girl who had started to live with her in the converted complex along with her husband and her own children along with a couple of the others that had been rescued by the IOA over the years. It was a place that she and the other Enhanced and Altered humans could live in peace, with the occasional heading to the outside when they felt comfortable integrating into the outside world.

For Ren, it provided the girl a place where her eccentricities could be molded in such a way that when she felt comfortable would be able to function in the outside world without too much difficulty. Considering that the girl was very comfortable with her body and that nudity wasn't an issue for her. So teaching her that covering up to some degree was part of the rules of social norm had been some of Echo's lessons to the girl. It had worked to prevent some occasional embarrassment from the staff when they saw her walking around considering that the girl didn't wear any underwear with that garment she wore all the time.

Right now seeing Ren looking at her like a scared rabbit started to make her worry that something had caused her to become scared. It was being scared with powers that caused most of the Problems with the IOA having to be called in. They learned in the past that sometimes it took a level head and being able to talk someone down and a light bit of sedative when needed that helped solve a bulk of the mess. Echo hoped that it just would require a talk for Ren's case.

"Echo are you leaving because of something I did?" Ren sat with her legs crossed on the table as she fiddled with the front of her garment. Echo turned to the girl and spoke softly to her adopted daughter.

"No Ren, I'm not leaving because of anything you did. I am just heading to Japan for a few weeks to help get some enhanced humans like myself orientated to function in the world." Ren continued to look worried and concerned at this, but started to understand the frame of reference that she had connected with Echo and the other living in the Dollhouse complex.

"Enhanced... you mean like me?" Echo walked over to the girl and cupped her hand to the girl's rounded face. That waify silver hair of Ren's wouldn't be much of a concern for her in the world but. Ren looked down at her clothes. She still wore the side less medical gown that she had worn off and one over the weeks as a security blanket, but was wearing one of Echo's hooded zip up sweat shirts over it so the medial gown looked a short tennis dress.

"Yeah, enhanced like you and me." Ren looked worried as she played with one of the strings to the hood. Echo leaned in and hugged the girl. "Ren, don't' worry. I'm not leaving forever. I'm just need to help others out who are just like us and Sierra has offered to take care of you." The girl clung harder.

"I don't want you to go." Echo kissed the girl on the head.

"Ren think about this. What if no one found you? You would be more afraid and not have grown. Now you are a lot like me. I have no memories of my past too. It was hard for me, but I had others like me who understood what I was going through." Echo moved and sat on the table with the girl. "Sierra was one of them and her husband Charlie." Ren started to look calmer.

"So it isn't because I am not wearing underwear or regular people clothes like everyone else does." Echo hugged the girl.

"No, I'm not leaving because of that. Sheesh. You think I am leaving because you aren't wearing any underwear." Echo chuckled, since she had regained some of her memories of her youth, being undergarment optional was normal for her if she wasn't having her period or wearing a dress. "Ren trust me there are times that wearing underwear will come in handy, but trust me I'm not leaving because of that. No I am leaving because the deputy Chief of Asian operations wants me to fly to Japan to talk with some girls called NeoGenes and see if there is any way that we can help them live their lives. From what I have heard, there might be a few your age, and they might want to talk with you." Ren grinned at this realizing that she wasn't alone in her current circumstances.

"Really?" Echo nodded.

"Yeah." Echo leaned over and pulled out her smart phone and tapped a few times on the touch screen and showed a picture of an Asian girl with silver hair. "Her Name is Aoi. She is a bit older than you, a bit shy, but from what I have heard you two might hit it off." Ren took the phone from Echo's hands and looked at the screen and traced the girl's face with her thumb.

"So there are other girls like me out there?" Ren was looking back up at Echo now.

"Well, not exactly like you, but over the years there have been some bad people that have done bad things to others like us. I work for people who stop those bad people and help beings like us have normal lives. They helped me, they found you, and I do this to help give back so that I can guide others like us to having a life." Echo leaned over and side hugged the girl. "Being alone is the greatest crime. It tears you apart."

"So you have to leave so that you can help others like me?" Echo nodded.

"Yeah but I consider you family. You remind me so much of me. And the fact that from what I have dug up on my past, I tended to be a little clothing optional too at your age." Ren had stopped crying realizing that this wasn't about her appearance or her choice of clothing or lack thereof on her body.

"So you don't mind me running around without any underwear on?" Echo nudged her on the cheek.

"No I don't mind you running around without any underwear on, but in public that might be a problem at your age, well any age if you are not wearing a swimsuit or planning to go clubbing at some club. But around the House. People won't mind." With that Echo reached over into the pile of clothes she was packing and held up a pair of small short cut running shorts. "Here, I was going to give these to you." Ren reached over and took them in her hand.

"These are for me?" Ren studied the fabric.

"Yeah... Sierra was planning on taking you shopping for some clothes and I saw those and thought that you would look great in them, given that you tend to run a lot." Ren hugged Echo hard as she buried her small face into Echo's breasts.

"THANKYOU THANKYOU THANKYOU THANKYOU THANKYOU THANKYOU THANKYOU THANKYOU THANKYOU THANKYOU THANKYOU THANKYOU THANKYOU THANKYOU THANKYOU THANKYOU THANKYOU THANKYOU THANKYOU THANKYOU THANKYOU THANKYOU THANKYOU THANKYOU." Ren said so fast that the sound pretty much stated that she loved the gift. Jumping off the table she slid them on dragging much of the medical garment into it and admiring herself. Echo grinned as the girl turned around several times to show them off. Echo got up and with a slight pull helped unbunch Ren's medical gown from the back of the shorts and untied the lower sides so that the garment lay outside. Ren looked in the mirror and grinned.

"I love them." Echo rubbed Ren's hair.

"Well I am glad that you do. How about helping me pack and we can talk about when you want me to call?"

"Okay." Ren said as she rushed back over to the table and started to help Echo organize the materials she was going to pack. Included in the pile of materials that were going to be placed in the bags was a picture of one Ohara Yasuka aka. Masane Amaha at age fifteen standing next to one Caroline "Echo" Farrell age 20 with the words "Friends Forever."

* * *

Well, I have a good lead for you all to start to figure out what is going on. Masane is going to start to learn more about who is after the Witchblade this time and why.

Now the political game begins.

Who are going to be the Good guys?

Who are going to be the Bad guys?

Why is everyone studying Masane instead of taking her on in a fight?

All will be explained in the next chapter.

Please leave any comments or reviews by clicking the little button below.

Hearns


	19. Chapter 19

This Chapter is designed to bring all of the elements that I have been working on in the past together and start linking all of the various plot threads together.

Now on with the story.

* * *

Chapter 19, plot the course Home

* * *

Tobias moved into the front of the Harem allowing the group of Cloneblades to come forth with him. Tobias was used to seeing the created Harem of feau females that Darkness kept about around him. But, seeing the actual thing was quite different. Several of the naked females sought refuge hiding behind each other in large groups with a few that had their Cloned Witchblades active stood guard to protect those who were too young or inexperienced with their powers.

A few started to urinate on themselves before Shiori walked into the room and calmed them down. One of the girls who had green hair rushed over to Shiori and hugged her as she buried her face into Shiori's chest.

"I missed you; I thought that they were not going to have you come back here."

"It's okay... I'm back; I just needed to find some friends." Shiori hugged the girl. "See..." Shiori turned to motion in Maria and Reina.

"Lady Soho..." Several of the girls in the room started to gather around Reina as she entered the room. The older sisters seemed to almost sigh in relief around the older Soho and the number of the younger, though a little nervous saw that their leader had returned. Those like Lou who Maria had harmed seemed to keep their distance, but hover around Reina due to her status. The generational split could be clearly seen among all of the NeoGene sisterhood. Shiori moved with the young sister who had taken a liking to her and moved her forward as Cleo and Tobias hung on the edge.

Tobias noticed that one of the NeoGenes wasn't hovering around the Soho royal family, but was starting to move over to him. Though naked, the slender athletic girl had a mane of long buttock length blond hair that flowed like a waterfall down her back as she moved like a curious child around her sisters. Then with doe shaped eyes looked at Tobias and leaned in and hugged him. It was strange feeling a naked female human next to him. Then his Biology went off as the young woman started to rub against him cooing.

"Mira..." a soft voice called out from the crowd, then. "Mira!" that was when a very feminine curved bob cut red head girl wearing pink and White armor turned to see them and screamed: "_**MIRA!**_" before Tobias could react, he could feel a bulge forming in his groin area and to his horror the girl that screamed the blond girl's name promptly kicked him in the family jewels and he fell to his knees then collapsed sideways on the ground.

"Lord Tobias!" Several of the Angels and Darkness Troops rushed to his side as the Red Head checked to see if Mira was well. Then the Blond started to lean on the girl and started to coo softly rubbing her face between the girl's breasts.

"Mira like this warm feel." There was a deep sigh as the girl continued. "Mira like Anna... Mira likes warm body, boy has warm body... wanted to feel it. He different, he harder like Anna's legs." The red head turned to see the now crumpled figure on the ground.

"Oh, Crap..." the red head, Anna sat Mira on the ground and rushed over to Tobias. "I am so truly sorry about that. I thought that you were taking advantage of Mira. But she was taking a liking to you. I am deeply sorry about kicking you in your man sack." The girl looked truly mortified.

"No..." A painful cough came out from Tobias. "Problem..." that was when Reina moved over to helped Tobias up.

"I apologize for the actions of this sister." Tobias was still working through the pain in his crotch.

"No... It was my fault... I forgot that most of you are at that human hormone driven age of being sexually curious." Tobias leaned forward to take the pain out from his insides. "Ugh..." Tobias gritted his teeth as he breathed in through them. "Check on her, to see that she's alright. And Tell... Um..."

"Anna..." the girl spoke up finishing the sentence.

"That Anna and her Friend that I'll be walking..." Tobias winced as he started to move forward. "Urg... Limping outside to give the girls some privacy/" With that a sheet had been pulled free and wrapped around Mira's naked form by one of the other girls who had been able to force the cloth free from one of the living structures. A small line of fluid dripped from where it had been torn onto the top of Mira's feet. Mira still wrapped in the fabric moved over and bent down and kissed Tobias on the cheek.

"Warm, Good Person. Mira sorry about Anna. Anna big sister. Anna help Mira after she woke up from darkness." With that Mira moved back over to Anna. "Mira try to learn to make armor from her bracelet." With that Mira started to grin. "Next time Mira will have armor and we can feel each other's warmth without Anna getting angry." Tobias grinned for a while as winced through the pain before heading out of the former Harem quarters that the NeoGenes now lived in.

"Yeah... Next time, I'll ask for Anna's permission to let you lean against me to get warm." With those words Tobias got out of range of the door way before he collapsed to the ground again and waited patiently for the pain between his legs to subside.

* * *

Masane watched as Reiji entered the room as she looked up from the computer terminal as she exhaled. In the last few hours she had learned that Witchblade's sister was still alive, but on a tangent she decided to view the footage of her that had wound up on the internet and from the Douji elimination squad records. One thing that had stuck out in all of her previous fights, she had been opponent concerned. But the entire boat chase thing... Was different.

She had shown concern about the hostage.

It was a completely different side to her. She didn't attack her opponents head on.

She had played with them, drew their fire.

Masane clicked on her when she was running on autopilot.

She avoided contact with people during these fights, hell she shredded a police car when she came across it.

Then Masane started to remember the events while she was in the Other Realm.

Wait...

She had asked to be Asagi's mom...

Aoi... Why did she go big sister to the silver haired former Yeander girl?

_"Why wasn't I given any training?"_

_"Why Wasn't I deputized?"_

Those two questions echoed in her mind.

Oh... Crap...

Masane slapped her hand to her forehead.

With that she looked over at the Witchblade. Its red gem was dark and it was sleeping.

At that moment Masane Realized that she needed answers.

So she flicked it with her finger. Nothing.

She flicked it again.

"Wha... wha... Five more minutes Sara..." the Blade moaned in her mind.

Realizing that getting Witchblade awake would take some serious action. She stuck her finger in her mouth and pulled out a wade of spit and proceeded do a wet wilily to Witchbalde's "ear".

Instantly Witchblade was awake and armored on her arm.

"Blech..." Witchblade called out in her head.

Reiji jumped back at this as Masane decided to thump Witchblade's form awake.

"Okay Witchblade... Spill" Masane sounded like she was about to start a fight with the symbiotic creature that was attached to her. "I dug up information about your sister so I want some answers from you, did you dump some training into my head or change my brain or anything?" Masane Gritted through her teeth.

"Sara... You found sis... okay..." Witchblade's brain wasn't fully working at fully speed. What the hell was going on here? "Listen... I know that you are doing snugglies and smoochies with Gleeson, I hope that you like all that stuff to make you a better cop." Witchblade curled himself back into his bracelet form. Masane was getting flustered.

Wait, Witchblade thought of her as being Sara... Then that would mean that...

"Witchblade, its Sara... Hope wants to talk with her big brother on the phone... Before she goes see Uncle Jackie at the airport..." With that Witchblade was awake and with a rush snatched up the phone and started yelling in a male toned voice from her mouth.

"Hope Annabeth Pizzini, if anything happens to you I will hunt down and personally vivisect the ones who have laid a hand upon your innocent body." A long moment passed as the sound of a dial tone came across the phone.

"Masane?" Reiji spoke up as the red and black form of Masane's armor looked around the office. Then at him then down at the computer monitor to the information on the screen. Then down towards to seeing Masane's buxom large breasts. Then it winced.

"Witchblade. What did you do to me?" Masane asked within her mind as Witchblade fell back into Reiji's chair.

"Masane... You are Masane? Then..." Witchblade looked over at the monitor. "You found her... sister..." Witchblade's clawed fingers reached out to touch the computer monitor softly...

"Listen... I found your sister... Now could you tell me what you did to me, I mean after I was brought back from the dead?"

"I gave you what you asked for... Training, knowledge, every skill set of all of my previous bearers... So you might do better."

"What?" Masane was in shock as she retook control over her body.

"You desired to have the following." There was a pause from the Symbiotic living weapon. "Just that at the time and while you were resting, I just uploaded... everything you desired... I made the odds for our mutual survival increase with every skill set I added."

"So you dumped the Encyclopedia of Kung Fu into my head while I was sleeping."

"Well that and more... I mean every skill set all of my pervious bearers had. You did want to get some training. I just gave you anything that you might need. Well considering after the run-in with my folks, I just thought I be on the safe side."

"Oh..." Masane realized that when you beg for something to keep you alive. Sometimes people tend to deliver. "So what is up about me being so motherly? I mean I offered to be Asagi's mom and a big sister to Aoi, what is up with that?"

"Aoi reminds me a lot of myself at that age and for Asagi... Well... She kinda of looks like one of my previous bearers. Just that your maternal instincts were set to eleven with Rihoko so most of the data of wanting to help her got blurred with that."

"So... Asagi thinks that we are trying to be alike a Mom to her..."

"Well like a mentor like Shiori was to Yuka, two of my previous Japanese bearers around the 17th century. Asagi needs to learn to have a life, but she also has a lot of information about her sisters that might be useful to you. Considering that you did have to kill two of them in self-defense." Masane understood where Witchblade was coming from. He just wanted to live.

"Okay..." Masane spoke aloud in her own voice. "So tell me a little about what you placed in my head and I'll see that your feelings towards Asagi are apologized for." There was a mental nod felt by Masane as Witchblade started to hear the list of what skills she received.

"You are now responsible for the Witchblades that were created from my imprisonment, so I decided that it be best to give you some of the following skills. To help you out and they are..."

* * *

Alexa pulled her head out from under her bed sheets, before she groaned at the bright light coming through the window. Light was her enemy as she knocked over a half filled beer can. Beer and Tea... Then she looked up to see her Wolf doll face down in a tea cup. Then she heard a moan next to her.

That was when she rewound the events of the previous night.

Guy had come over to ask her to be his friend so that he could date. She offered Tea. Found some beer from some of the neighbors...

Alexa checked to see if she had any underwear on.

With a sigh of relief, she tugged at the waist strap of her underwear stating it was still on.

"Beer, Saki... Tea..." a male voice said as he rolled over on her. "Ugh... Light enemy... Must kill the Sun..." Alexa rolled over to see Tyson. Still dressed and with a wolf-ear headband sticking off the top of his head.

"Tyson?" Alexa started to speak, but as she rolled a line of sunshine aimed its ugly rays right into her eyes and she recoiled like a vampire.

"Alexa... what was in that stuff?" Tyson spoke moving from English to Russian to plain old school Japanese the delving into a mix of languages that Alexa didn't know what origins they were from. "Okay... That is the last time that I decide to meet a girl and...Oh.."

"I agree with you there..." Alexa said as she rolled off of the floor mat and slouched over to table and grabbed a bottle of aspirin, slowly her armor formed around her eyes and started to reduce the incoming light levels to those similar to that of being of twilight. That was when her armor started to move more around her body. "Don't worry; I can purge the Alcohol in both or our systems." With That Alexa reached out and took Tyson's hand and let her blade envelop his arm like a cocoon. After a moment Tyson's head started to ache less then... Other than feeling a little woozy, he felt better. Alexa's eyes were fixed on his arm as she started to process the images that were flowing into her head.

With that Alexa got scared then... She calmed down... But the look of worry was there.

"Tyson..." Alexa's words stuck in the air. "You grew up off world?" Tyson could feel his fingers flex under her encasement.

"Whoa... You are a Postcog?" Alexa still attached retracted her blade and continued to armor up to the point where she just kept her face exposed.

"You, grew up on a space ship? A Colony..." Alexa fell to the floor. "Monsters..."

"Oh, Crap... You saw the Wrath..."

"Oh Shit..." Alexa fired out a pair of spears into the wall near the restroom and slid into the room. A moment later Tyson could hear Alexa Vomiting.

"Listen I am sorry about the images." Tyson spoke up as another heave could be heard. "Alexa?" Quickly Tyson rushed into the restroom to see Alexa on the Floor. "You okay?" Alexa slid off of the porcelain throne and lay against the wall.

"I'm Okay... just that between the images and the Alcohol, my stomach couldn't handle it." Tyson knelt down next to her.

"Alexa... I." Alexa raised a hand for him to stop.

"It's okay." Alexa paused closing her eyes before grinning. "Wow... Your mother was Beautiful. It must have been hard for her dealing with raising a child under those circumstances?" Tyson sat next to her.

"Well I wasn't the only kid and, Most of the other's looked for me. I mean I must have at least several Aunts and Uncles that still send me presents on my birthday."

"That is what a family is like?" Alexa was more curious as she reached out again to take his hand and viewed more of his memories.

"Alexa?" Tyson could feel Alexa's grip on him as she winced a little.

"Great views, a few fights. Somewhat like me and my sisters." There was a pause. "No wonder you want me to help be the distraction to the girl you want to date. She looks nice." There was a grin. "Oh My God..." Alexa's eyes shot open. "You could have told me that her brother was hot. Fuck I won't just keep him occupied. Hell, I'll see that you two can have a night where you won't have to worry about him." With that Alexa used her powers to produce snake like tentacles out of her back to help push her up. "Gimme his number. Gimme." One look in the mirror and Alexa stopped cold. "Crap... I need a bath. My hair looks horrible." Grabbing a little yellow bowl and a towel. She rushed out of the bedroom.

"Call the Guy... tell him that we need to meet now. Fuck... I need to find that nice pair of pants." As Alexa undressed and grabbed a robe and heading out of the apartment. Tyson looked down at his hand and realized that getting the date of his dreams wouldn't be a problem.

What worried him was the idea that Alexa might have found her dream man.

With that his phone rang and on the phone's screen showed that it was work.

How was he going to explain this to his commanding officer as he knocked over something into the sink.

Looking down he realized that Alexa was just a teenager, and one that in her short life had to be life like there was no tomorrow.

It was an unused pregnancy test.

She was suffering from Psychological Mayfly Syndrome.

The incoming Head Shrink was going to definitely be earning her pay.

* * *

Maria sat down on one of the pillows in the Harem after she had announced that her mother would be the Leader of the Neogenes who would aid in returning the sisters back to Earth. That was right after she had told every one of Father's Plans. With her Mother confirming most of this information Maria felt a bit weaker, but losing some of her status made her a bit more approachable. She seemed more mortal.

With that a sister in pink and blue armor sat next to her. It was Anna the girl who had kicked Tobias in the crotch to protect a damaged sister from whatever sins father had done.

Maria watched as her mother checked out the girl.

Anna seemed to understand Maria some as she started to talk.

Mira, the girl Anna was close to, had mentally regressed to that of a young child as she listened to Anna tell her and her sister's back story.

* * *

Mira was a strong fighter, probably on par with Maria herself, but after a training session she had been allowed to go outside with a few of her other sisters right before Maria herself had slain father for the control over life. Mira and Anna had been attacked by ExCon and had taken it down. That was when a Mysterious figure had shown up and the next they knew they were here.

Mira had been scared, but had stuck to Anna. It was as if some force had reached in and had erased her mind. Anna had gotten angry, but like Murki-san who had found her had helped bring her and a few of the other sisters who had been killed by the ExCon and I-Weapons.

What caught her attention was that the ExCon were also like the CloneBlades. Just male versions that had been brainwashed. Well Zombiefied... And turned into living weapons. Why didn't father just get turned into one of these things? No... He had the idea in his head of becoming perfect.

Male Witchblades?

Seeing Yagi and Mr. Murki... her tone had changed. They were not evil beings just that once freed of all of that attack programming. They were kind. Hell most of them felt ill at the image of what they had done to her sisters.

Then... Seeing her naked and semi-naked sisters around her, she realized that there might be a place full of... she shuddered at that image when she saw Yagi move over and sit down. Yagi looked the same way as he tried his best to avert his eyes from the unarmored girls, even a few of the well endowed ones like Shiori.

"Anna..." Yagi spoke up to her sister. "Mira is going to be okay... but Reina thinks that Mira has gone into a fugue state to protect her mind from harm." Maria understood this term from her studies of the human mind. This is when she decided to help her sister understand what was happening to her charge.

"Mira has a form of amnesia that is reversible once her mind realizes that the danger has past. Once her mind gets the idea that she is safe, she can go back to normal?" Maria explained this term to Anna.

"So once we are able to get out of here, Mira can go back to being the person I knew from before." Anna held on hope for her sister. "Yeah... Maria-san." Anna let that part out. "We just need to find a way to get out of here?" Maria realized that she and her mother had much work to do. She wished that she could be able to communicate to the other side with Masane, Hell Aoi... Her love must be on the verge of breaking down without her being around.

"Maria... your Blade is..." Anna didn't finish the sentence as Maria's blade glowed and she was dropped down on a hard surface.

* * *

Luna had the sub vocal translators running as she listened to Casey and April check out their contacts with the Local IOA office. There was going to be a meeting with all of the parties involved pertaining the Witchblade at some restaurant. Talk about having a Diner Test about what was going to be the fate of the Two Witchblades and their clones. Being the Wielder of the American Witchblade had brought Luna into a world of interesting individuals. But this briefing that was going to include the forces that just wanted to get the entire Douji mess resolved.

The meeting was going to take place in a few hours as she decided to move over into the bunks to catch an hour or two of shuteye before the meeting started.

Then as she made her way to her quarters on the Da'Barge to some rest from the Jet lag. That was when she saw Witchblade Armored Girl standing in her bunk room.

With that Luna armored up.

* * *

Maria didn't know where she was at. But she knew she was on a boat, just from the sound of it and the way that her legs were moving. That was when she turned to see a woman wearing Purple and Silver Witchblade Armor, and she wasn't a sister.

* * *

"Who are you?" Luna asked as the Eggshell and red armored girl. The Cloneblade girl fell backwards on the ground. For a moment Luna caught an image of the environment around her. It was like watching a bad green screen composite job on the nightly news. This was a projection. But one that Witchy and her were picking up.

* * *

Maria looked scared as she looked up from the floor.

This sister was different.

Well Slavic/Russian. She knew of sisters being from various ethnic groups, but seeing one that looked so Western and slightly pissed at her threw her for a loop. That and given that aforesaid Witchblade bearer wanted to know who she was. With those thoughts going through her head, she quickly responded.

* * *

"I am Maria Soho. A NeoGene. I don't know how the Hell I got here, but I have several sisters in need of help. So if dropping my armor will..." Maria retracted all of her armor leaving herself completed exposed, in more than one way.

"Okay..." Luna blinked a few times seeing the very naked teenage girl before her. "Um... could you at least cover up now?" Maria looked down to see that with a gulp that she had just completely exposed herself and blushed. Quickly she raised her armor not for so much defense, but for modesty.

"Yeah..." Maria looked around some before she sat down. After a long moment. "Guess I should have been more prepared for something like this." Luna moved over to the girl seeing that this was one of the girls who bore one of the offspring of the sibling Witchblade she possessed.

"Maria..." Luna looked at the girl; she looked to be no more than fifteen. "How did you get here?" Luna reached out to the girl and her hand passed through the girl's shoulder with some serious resistance like Luna was trying to push her hand into scooping out a gob of peanut butter after the jar had been left in the refrigerator by accent while putting up the jelly.

"I don't know. One moment I am trapped in another dimension with my mom and my other NeoGene sisters, the next I am thinking about trying to return here to be with my girlfriend Aoi and..."

"And you wind up here in my room." Luna was slowing getting a picture here.

"I mean Witchblade-sama and my sister Rihoko were able to travel to where me and my mother are at for a short time. I mean they are working on a way to get us home." Luna placed her hand on the girl again.

"Looks like you are a projection between dimensions." Luna experimented a few times as she took Maria's hand in her own. "Might be that given that you said that they were able to journey to where you were at for a short time, probably means that they were able to adjust themselves on whatever dimensional frequency you are on, but I think you are just able to barely get all the way here." Maria looked worried.

"You mean that I am stuck here like this." With that Maria started to grow lighter to the point where Luna could see through the girl.

"Easy... calm down Maria. I think whenever you are getting scared it prevents you from interacting with me. So do your best to stay calm." With that Luna rushed over to the wall speaker and hit the button to speak with the main meeting room. "April... Casey... Zoltan... Somebody. It's Luna... I need somebody to get down to my quarters quick. I think we have someone on board." There was static for a moment as Casey's voice came through.

"We have an intruder?" Luna watched as Maria' tried her best to stay calm.

"No... I think we have a guest. But get down here quick and grab that manual that IOA made up on all the weird stuff that happened with all of the previous Witchblade users."

"What's going on Luna?" April spoke up this time.

"I think somehow we have another one of the Witchblade girls show up and I think she is stuck halfway between here and..." Luna tried her best to convey it in terms April and Casey could understand. "...wherever Amaha and her friends broke out of after the disappearance of Tokyo Tower."

"We're on our way." With that Maria seemed more concerned about what was happening with Aoi and how freaked her Mom would be right now.

* * *

Zoltan was staring at the scene before him and boy he wished that from reading all of the reports of being stuck on a cross-dimensional level never came close to actually seeing someone in the situation. With that he held up the scanner and waved it over Maria's body. Luna was holding the girl's hand to keep her calm, but given that it was like trying to hold onto moving Spanish Carmel flan, just being there helped keep Maria calm. But hearing Luna's origin story of her blade kept the girl focused on other things than the situation she was in

A moment later Zoltan took the scanner over to his computer and uploaded the data as he plugged in the USB cable to the computer and said "Hum..."

Maria got off the table and walked over and looked at the screen and was confused as Hell.

"So... What is wrong with me? I mean, why am I not here?" Zoltan motioned over to Luna to come over.

"Luna... I know that the Witchblade has a lot of capabilities to it, but what does Witchy have to say on the matter?" With that Luna closed her eyes and concentrated her thoughts on communicating with the ancient being before she opened her eyes again.

"Well from what I have been able to get from Witchy is that, well it is a theory, that Maria is projecting her consciousness here and somehow, Witchy is making her astral Projection solid with a telekinetic overlay." With that Zoltan reached over and handed a LED Flashlight to Maria.

"Here hold this." Zoltan said as he passed the inactive hand torch to the girl. The Moment it hit her hand it turned on. Maria looked at the light for a few moments and wondered what was going on. "Maria, I need you to place your hand over the light and aim it towards the wall." Maria did as she was told, but seeing that the round circle of light showing on the wall scared her in that it was going through her hand like there was nothing there.

"What is happening here?" Maria dropped the light as Luna raced over to take hold of the girl.

"It's okay Maria... Because I think you are using some latent telepathic powers that you have and are focusing them through your blade. Because that is what I am getting from my reading here." Zoltan said as he picked up the flashlight off of the floor. "Mostly you are putting out enough voltage to turn that light on means that we are close to where you disappeared from and somewhat near the source, i.e. your body." Maria was still shaking at this, but hearing that they were close to her body meant that she probably would have a chance to be near her sister and her lover again.

"You mean that I am, by body is still back in that place." With that Maria's body jerked back hard.

"Crap... Looks like her connection back to her body is about to snap her back." Zoltan ran over to the girl as she snapped backwards again.

"Please... Talk with the Witchblade-sama... Tell my sister Rihoko and my girlfriend Aoi I was here..." Maria's form started to become transparent.

"Well Get in touch with her Maria." Luna said as she reached over and hugged the girl hard. For just a moment the former NeoGene was anchored long enough to smell Luna's hair.

"Thank you sister." With that Maria let go and she faded back to where she had came from.

"Zoltan, I need to speak with the local Director of IOA operations here in Japan, Now..." Luna looked at the spot Maria had disappeared from. "Maria, I will see that you are reunited with those you love." with that Luna's mission became clear. Get Maria back onto this plain of existence.

* * *

Maria snapped back into the Harem chamber where the NeoGenes were staying in the Other Realm Opening her eye she saw her Mom cradling her.

"Maria..." that single word that was her name sounded like what she had desired it be spoken by her mom when she confessed her love for her that first time she had always dreamed of.

A Dream that had been twisted into a nightmare by the man that had called himself her father.

Now... Hearing it she cried.

"Mom... I was back on Earth for a little while..." Maria struggled to keep her eyes open. "I got a message to Aoi..." Maria panted as she watched as Shiori moved over and knelt by her.

"So Masane has a plan in play?" Maria slowly felt sleep over take her.

"She isn't the only bearer of the Witchblade... there is another..." Maria panted. "They together have the power to get us home." With that Maria let the warm darkness sleep move over her as feeling her head in her mother's lap beneath her make her feel safe as she dreamed of having a childhood again.

TBC

* * *

Next chapter… Meeting and Greeting.


	20. Chapter 20

Sorry about taking so long to update this story (2 plus years), but between being swamped with school, family emergencies, and being drawn into writing fic in other categories. I have finally bit the bullet and finished writing this chapter. I know it is short, but I know where each section occurs in my life as it kept me sane during some very trying times as I was writing it.

Well on with the story.

* * *

Chapter 20; Everyone around the Table now

* * *

Admiral Sheppard had heard about the phone call that Witchblade Alpha had made to the home of Witchblade Beta after one had gotten the phone number from his office. Something that he wished he had given orders on to ensure that he could have controlled the situation better. But when Luna and Masane had gotten in touch with each other, well the conversation went down very fast as the two bearers as they learned that Luna from New York was interesting in learning what her Sister bearer had been up to. When Luna learned of the hell Masane had been through, it had turned into "put a hold everything and I will come and help you in this family matter" situation.

With that his cellphone was hitting full-tilt panic ringing every-five-minutes as everyone who wanted to place their fingers in the preferable Witchblade pie came a calling.

So with everyone from Home World Security, Super Human Affairs, and every bureaucratic Yahoo that one could have calling at the same time: Sheppard, just put the phone on conference so when he got a new call, he just hit link on the screen and just dealt with the group as a whole without having to repeat himself twelve times over. Because of everyone knew that there were other grabby ass wipes around and they wanted a piece of the pie, it would mean that they would have to work together to get through that mess.

During a few of those calls he had to blow an air horn to get everyone to shut the hell up. Which other than causing a few ringing ears, caused everyone to start listening to reason of how to best handle things. Giving how things were turning out, it was high time that he got everyone in the same room. So Sheppard decided to arrange for everyone to meet at the same location that he was going to have his little meeting with Kiani at just to sort out the issues and the large mountain of crap that hand landed in his lap. He didn't care if he was going to get court marshaled for this crap, but he needed to put a lid on everyone running in circles.

Kiani wasn't pleased about there being other people at this meeting, but when she learned who was showing up and why he was holding things back she started to understand. He didn't want anyone taking advantage of the situation until they had laid all of their cards on the table. This was a poker game with some very high stakes and the last thing he wanted was for someone to take advantage of the situation. With that he gathered everyone around the table and let the chips fall where they may... Well at least with some control over how the roulette was going to be spinning. Changing the game tended to make things go your way. Especially when had rigged the wheel and the ball some.

Witchblade Alpha (Luna) and her team had shown up along with a few of his own men and the recently recruited NeoGene Alexa. Now Witchblade Beta (Masane) was going to show up with her support team and Kiani would show up with her personnel. Things needed to be done with plenty of tact or that this would go nuclear in a hand basket.

Hell when Masane realized that the NeoGene Maria had made contact with Luna, one of Masane's charges was on the verge of breaking down when she heard this. Well Luna did her best to calm the girl down and let her know that Maria just wanted to know if she was alright. Throughout the meeting that small girl just kept to Luna like glue. He had heard of how emotionally clingy the NeoGenes were, but to see it first-hand. No wonder the IOA agent who was in charge of the three NeoGenes in Chicago was taking time off just to deal with those three.

Alexa the new recruited NeoGene who he had personally recruited into IOA had moved over and started to listen in to the meeting. Though Alexa had decided after a few minutes of listening in that aiding Aoi would be the best thing to do for the time being after the younger NeoGene kept becoming distressed at the mention of her girlfriend Maria making contact with Luna and not herself. With that Alexa led Aoi outside to talk to her in private. This was when everything just started to come together as the Maria led post-Furumitzu NSWF and the entire Darkness and Angelus side of things started to be revealed to everyone in the room.

The look on Kiani's face gave the same feeling of shock as she and the rest in the room realized that the Cloneblades where in a bad state given the mess caused by Furumitzu. Because of this the Cloneblades would need all the help they would need as the group listened to Asagi speak about her experiences living under the NSWF.

"I have been to the Other Realm. And from my experience there, No one should ever go through that. I have sisters who have been messed up due to man wanting to have himself reborn in a perfect body. But now if there is a way to get them home here to Earth and help them get some semblance of a life back together, I'm for it." Masane had looked at Asagi's reaction with interest.

"What brings this on Asagi?" Masane had said studying the girl.

"I know that I am fucked, that all of my sisters are screwed, but knowing that there is some hope leads me to see that from an objective point of view that we can beneficial to society. I know that it will take years for the NeoGenes to become functional in society. A few might be able to be functional on a combat level. But if anything else. That it is children like Rihoko who are part of this bloodline that might have the best chances of survival. They haven't been damaged as much, so the last thing I want them to do is spend the rest of their lives in that place." Asagi paused before she stood up and armored up. "So if fish girl here can..." Asagi grabbed Kiani's arm and stopped cold as she collapsed back into her chair. The look of shock on her face spoke volumes. "I had no idea that you were like us. The betrayal, pain, loneliness. Killian, your father using you, Siphon dying. That little girl that haunts you... And... Gargo... She worked hard to..." there were tears coming down Asagi's face by this time. "Sorry... I just learned a lot about the powers the Blade-wielders possess." Asagi let go and looked around the room as she armored up and walked over to each of the Blue and touched them. Sheppard just watched as Asagi took in the information from each one before returning to the table and touched the Admiral himself. Sitting down Asagi nodded towards Masane Amaha.

"What is it Asagi?" Masane reached out to take the girl's hand. With that everything that was supposed to happen didn't and yet did.

"The truth... What has happened with my sisters and I has happened before? You don't want to use us, you want to help us. You just want to disarm the current mess that has happened here and stop it from happening again someplace else." Asagi gave her hand to Kiani. "Kiani of the Blue, I will show you what is at stake." With that the female warrior placed her hand into Asagi's and the knowledge of the events that had brought them here to this place and time was traded between the two female warriors.

* * *

Kiani looked around to see memories flood towards her through the construct. Countless warriors had been created by the abuses of science and magic. Many of which fought to become human again, or regain enough of their humanity not to be seen as monsters.

The images of war, battle, hard won peace treaties. Accidents. In that moment Kiani knew about Asagi's life... The horrors she had seen and the hidden desire to break free. To feel something, anything. Then... Kiani felt the urge to hug this girl. It was as if she had seen part of her own life reflected back upon her through this child's life.

Kiani had been saved by Gargo, who had turned her around during that darkest hour of her life. Now it was Kiani's term to use the surface dwellers used to pay it forward to these girls who in time would be part of a Civilization of Witchblades.

With that Kiani got up and wrapped her arms around the young woman and hugged her.

"I will aid you Asagi." Kiani said knowing that this girl knew more about her life than even her own lovers and children knew of.

Asagi would become an adoptive daughter to her and hopefully have a chance at a better life as a result.

Now they had much to do and very little time to do it to save these children of the Blade. And maybe in that role Kiani hoped that somewhere her mentor Gargo of the Coda would be grinning at her.

* * *

Shiori woke up to blood curdling screaming. Hell everyone woke up to screaming. In the middle of the room shaking like a leaf was one of the older sisters about her age and she was drenched in sweat as she looked down at her nude body. Shiori rushed over leaving several of her charges to cling to each other's nude bodies as several of the older girls reached the sister.

This place like living in a bath-house minus the robes given how warm and wet it was. The first thing Shiori was going to do after leaving this place was sleeping in a decent bed with plush bedding, and second be curled up in the most soft pajamas she knew of next to Riena's recently coconut lotion body. But right now tending to this sister was on the priority list.

"Are you okay?" Shiori was able to get out of her mouth as she saw that the sister started to check for some injury. It took several moments and Shiori touching the girl's shoulder for her to calm down before the girl started to open up about the bad dream she had experienced.

"I was... was hacked into by a guy with a sword..." there was a long pause as the sister's body was slowly being lit up by a glowing lantern was urged to glow brighter by Maria.

The sister had mocha colored skin and blond hair. What one would call in Japan a Kitsurubami-girl, a dark skinned super tanned Barbie beach girl type of appearance whose ancestry could have been Filipino or at least someone of mixed dark-skinned western heritage. Additionally the melon sized bust this girl had made Shiori wonder if she and this girl had been created from the same genetic egg stock. There was a pause for a long moment as the girl finally caught her breath.

"Take it easy, tell us about the nightmare you had?" Shiori spoke slowly as several of the middle aged teen girls slowly ushered the rest of the girls back to sleep but a few decided to ease-drop out of habit wondering what was up. Shiori had done it a few times too back in her youth. How many months ago was that?

Shiori felt old when the number came up.

"The night where all of the ExCons attacked the city..." the girl paused for a moment to organize her thoughts. "I felt like I need to go outside." Shiori knelt down to listen to the girl as armor started to come up. Not so much for protection against attack, but to at least have something around oneself that leave them feeling exposed in this strange alien penal nudist colony. "I felt this desire to go somewhere." The girl continued on. "It felt like I was being summoned by some force." Shiori got a look at the girl's arm and part of her chest. Even healed, the clear break could be seen in the armor of where something had sliced into the girl. "I was armored and fought a few of the ExCons, but it was a person with a sword that started to scare me." The girl rocked back and forth a few times as she started to worry that this dream wasn't a dream, but a memory.

"Take it easy... you don't have to rush through it." Shiori said as she knelt down by the girl as Riena watched Shiori approvingly.

"Well, he called out. It was as if I was on auto drive in a car." The girl shook her head a few times starting to get worried. "He said. Demon... you take the lives of innocents. I shall remove you from this girl." With that the girl grew scared as she traced her repaired armor. The shock hit as she looked into Shiori. "Oh God! It was real." Shiori reached over and the images started flow into her mind. Shiori started to see the events of that night as Miko the girl she was in contact with as the fought through several ExCon tanks before she became drawn to an alley in a part of the city away from the fighting.

There standing in the middle of the alleyway was a man in his mid forties wearing normal clothes that made him unnoticeable to anyone on the street, but there was something in his gaze that unnerved Shiori. It was if knew how to kill her. That was when the man attacked.

The speed was nothing like she had experienced, it was as if some unearthly force had granted him superhuman speed. As fast as the girl started to pull back from the attack, this bring just pressed on through the blocks. Each blow carved off bit of the armor until one blow went directly across the girl's chest. As blood was pumping out of her body, Shiori watched as the swordsman stood over the NeoGene and was she raised her arm to protect herself, swung his blade right across her Cloneblade arm and her head.

Shiori reeled back from the shock as she snapped back to reality. Looking at the layer of sweat that she now shared with her NeoGene sister, she knew that back on Earth there were beings that hunted those who bore Cloneblades. Trying not to piss herself Shiori shook her head several times and returned to the girl's side and hugged her.

"It's going to be alight sister. He isn't going to hunt you down here."

Shiori knew that her words were a half truth, but for this girl not knowing the truth at this time might be the best thing.

Looking over at Riena, the Elder NeoGene understood that what just had happened would require a visit to the portal to make sense of what had transpired in this girl's past and warn the Witchblade of a potential threat to the other sisters back on Earth.

* * *

Masane walked with Luna and for the first time actually started to understand what her powers were realizing that these gifts she had been cursed with were not evil, she just needed more training.

"See, the Witchblade isn't just a weapon, it is more. Consider it a part of yourself. Whatever skills you possess or knowledge you have is amplified by the memories within the Blade from the past users." Luna said as she changed into her armor as they walked along the beach.

"So... what happens if I don't have any memories? I mean this thing..." Masane winced as her blade gave her a kick in the back of her mind. "This being has been holding back." Luna grinned.

"Masane, give me your hand." Luna offered her arm and Masane without commanding her Blade, armored up as well in her Red form.

"How..." Masane freaked a little, but felt the Witchblade almost blush as it spoke to her.

_Sorry Amaha-sama, but I feel that it is time that we come to terms with who we are, and I feel that for us to continue this partnership, this must be done_. With that Masane felt the blade bow to her in Traditional Japanese style of being in one's house.

Hesitantly Masane reached out and took Luna's hand and . . .

**_"Hey Yasuka, you know that I have your bra here and your tits are big enough to make a hat or two out of" A boy called waving a large cupped bra over his head. That was when a Girl punched the kid in the crotch and he fell backwards groaning in pain._**

**_"Yasuka, you know that with your sizable mammary glands you will probably have a lot of purves wanting to grope you of you don't decide to go with a tighter bra. With that the girl handed Masane/Yasuka back her bra._**

**_"Thanks Jenny." The younger Masane said as she watched as several other girls come into the room as the girl walked over and handed back Masane/Yasuka's bra to her._**

**_"Hey did you hear about trip to Tokyo?" One of the girls said as she looked down at the guy curled up on the floor."What happened to Kinji?"_**

**_"He decided to go and steal with one of Yasuka's bras; I got it back for her."_**

**_"Yasuka . . . I wish that I had breasts like your, I mean I practically have to shove socks into my bra so that I have any cleavage." One of the girls said reaching down her shirt and pulling a single rolled up footsy sock._**

**_"Yeah, but me... I mean I look several years older." Masane/Yasuka said folding up her bra and placing it back into the drawer of her dresser. "I want to be adopted, but I look older and..." Masane/Yasuka looked at the pervert boy on the ground. "Eddie is right... only a pervert would ever love me for me."_**

**_Masane took her hand back from Luna before the rest of the scene played out._**

"That was..."

"That was your past Masane..." Luna said as she helped Masane sit down in the dry sand. "It has always been accessible; you just have to know what to do with the blade. I mean having post cog power might not be as exciting as some of the other superpowers out there. But it does come in handy when you are looking for your car keys." Masane felt her blade form into its claw and rolled her fingers for a few times as the sounds of the waves started to ground her to the life she now had.

"Would you teach me to access the rest of my powers?" Masane said as she turned to see Aoi and one of the IOA agents talking about stuff and the two were laughing about something. That was when both girls transformed into their blade forms and decided to play a game of catch along the beach. The NeoGenes were victims in all of this, and Asagi was right... A few of them would fight to ensure that the younger ones had a chance at a normal life.

"I can, but remember, I'm just here to figure out what is going on with Darkness and Angelus and why they are up to, what they are up to by grabbing you and the rest of those cloned copies of the Witchblade."

"Well any insight into those two would be a major help." Masane said as she dusted herself off and started to walk back to the restaurant that IOA had taken over for their little meet and greet.

* * *

Asagi watched as Kiani traced a finger across her arm. It almost felt medical, but there was something else about it as she started to feel calm by it.

There was a soft grin forming across Kiani's face as she started to mess with some of Asagi's clothes.

"The styles that you surface dwellers chose. I swear when my daughter was your age, she had her rebellious stage but..." Kiani reached over and took Asagi's shirt and started to split it down the back and snap the straps to it. Before Asagi could protest, Kiani had retied one of the straps hefted the cloth tighter around Asagi's breasts and with some sort of fastener pinned the cloth in place. "Okay... now look at yourself in the mirror." Asagi was worried that she would look ugly, but the shirt that Kiani had "adjusted" seemed more her now. Turning around Asagi could see where the cloth had been... cut... not ripped, but cut and the fasteners seemed to be part of the shirt now. "You like?"

It took a moment for Asagi to digest the situation before her as she looked at Kiani. "Yeah..." Asagi looked at herself in the mirror and examined her features. She looked beautiful... not stand out beautiful but good beautiful that made her feel good. The eye shadow she had worn was the same, the hair, event he pants she had chosen to wear. But this small change to her top shirt made all of the difference. Her hanging Banana boobs looked more normal and as Asagi gave the underside of one a nudge, felt more secure.

"I know this style of upper-garment is a little different for you, but the design is what I ran with when I was younger. But there are a few members of the Blue who like have large mammary organs like you, so I made it a little tighter to highlight the curves and flow of your form." Asagi swore she had gained an inch or two from this new top.

"Why did you do this for me?" Asagi said turned to look at Kiani. There was a long pause as the elder woman moistened her lips with her tongue before talking,

"When we touched, I saw the look in your eyes when you used your powers to see my past." There as a sigh from the woman. "It was right after the second Blue/Surface war my people fought with the humans." Asagi listened. "One of the settlements that I had founded had been overrun by an outside force right as humans attacked. We were able to evacuate the civilians before the mess started. During the firefight, I had been captured and something had been placed inside of me before I broke free as the settlement fell." Asagi reached out her hand as her Cloneblade formed itself around her fingers and took Kiani's hand.

The images flowed like a movie flashback as Kiani was driven by the creature inside of her, and militant host jumping terrorist to go on a suicide mission. The creature being driven out by some ancient woman and Kiani finding out the woman was sword master who taught Kiani to heal her heart. Kiani would still be angry, but she would be tempered by skill and love.

Asagi saw the chemical test Kiani had used when she had learned she was with child. The thought scared her, but it also gave her strength as realizing that it wasn't only her life at stake. How Sheppard had come into play, how Maylander had been removed from command. Kiani making a truce with the Queen of the Blue, not peace, but a truce that had stuck over the last few decades.

After Asagi let go Kiani looked at her.

"May I see your other form?" Asagi looked a little worried, but after experiencing this woman's memories and some of her life Asagi changed into her Cloneblade form. There was no shock, or awe from Kiani, just understanding.

"So much like our battle armor." Kiani said as looked Asagi up and down. "A little clunky in a few places, but more refined in others." Asagi fretted a little as Kiani tapped the neck collar of Asagi's armor then frowning at the blade patterns of Asagi's feet. "The neck guard I would keep but I would lose the footwear if I was fighting, other than that your armor is quite normal for the fighting style I have seen your kind use." Asagi relaxed as her armor retracted back into her wrist.

"Seen, you mean you have seen me fight?" Asagi said surprised.

"Yes, I have..." there was a pause from her as she leaned against the wall and looked Asagi in the eyes. "The night of the battle of Tokyo there were several news helicopters flying around and we were able to tap the footage to see what was going on." There was a soft grin on Kiani's face. "I saw those two monster blades that you use in battle. They are more of a slashing blade, but with some skill and a little talent you might be a quite formable opponent. So far you are good, but with a little bit of training you could be better." There as a grin on Kiani's face that felt comforting to Asagi. "I could teach you if you let me?"

Asagi didn't know what to say as something comforting came over her, this was a woman who didn't want to take advantage of her, but was willing to teach her if she was open to the offer.

It felt so comforting to find someone so much like herself, who had been there through similar trials in her life.

"I will consider your offer Kiani-San." Asagi said placing her offer on the table.

* * *

I know that it has been a while since I last updated this story, but in the last few weeks and a few nudges from fans, I have started work on this story again. Also to *Zombie-Shinju on Deviantart whose art has inspired me to create some new characters for the next few chapters.

TBC


	21. Chapter 21

Chapter 21

* * *

This Chapter will attempt to foreshadow some stuff that is to come in later chapters.

Oh and to SpartanCommander Thanks for the review and the slew of ideas that you put down there. I went through and picked out the good nuggets of ideas that you brought up. Your review influenced a lot of the writing this chapter.

To the reviewer who wanted more Nora, she will be showing up in this chapter.

This chapter is a little light on action, but for character development it brings a lot to the table.

* * *

Kya used her powers to manipulate the water around her body as she danced in the abandoned weapons testing facility. It was strange as she let the tension fade from her body with each move of her hands and twist of her limbs. Over in the distance one of the Cloneblades watched her move as she sat fully armored on one of the lower ledges of one of the test buildings. In the past week Kya and the other Blue had learned about the situation involving the Cloneblades and their progenitor, the Witchblade Beta. So far Masane had been able to convince the IOA for some help with the situation they were now facing as the idea that there was a chance of performing a rescue operation to save the Cloneblade bearers that had been sucked into the dimensional rift she had caused months earlier. After a long debrief, Masane had been able to learn of the other locations of where some of the other NeoGenes had been taken since the mess. A few had been taken to facilities where they were being educated to be normal and not weaponized due to a similar kind of mess that had happened years earlier. The Witchblade had been angry at this, but had been taken on a flight to the complex had soothed the nerves of the being. Most of the adoption program for these young Cloneblades had been based on the ages when they had been found. The younger ones had been assigned to parents who had experience dealing with cloned or super powered children. Kya didn't know that many children existed who had powers or were cloned off of other individuals were running around on the surface, but it did make some sense that an organization like the IOA had come up contingency plan to deal with it when it occurred. Most of the information she had known of the surface world was a little out of date from the texts she had read, but the idea that there were families made up of a clone parent and superhuman one sort of made sense when you had a situation like this. Rex the clone and his mutant wife Nikka seemed to have been able to reign in the Cloneblade girl they had taken in. Other than the occasional temper tantrum the girl threw off, it was the experience those two gave is what made Masane want to check up on the other girls as well and learn of the other crimes committed against Homo Masamune. Masane would have to make time to do those checkups after this operation was done but that was on the to-do list at this time as she had to save the trapped Homo Masamune in the Other Realm first.

Most of the IOA staff that had been brought in to deal with the upcoming batch of Cloneblades made sense. She had at least seen five to six copies of the same woman in one of the offices and that had creped her out. How does one deal with the idea that there is more than one person that bears your face? Kya shook her head as she practiced the steps of her dance and focused her energies to calming her mind. But there was a feeling that there was something not being told after that Shiori woman showed up with that Maria girl. Whatever was going on, it was going to be big as the mood changed as they readied the several boats, assault craft, and helicopters that would be needed to fish the Cloneblades out of the water when they all came through the portal.

So far, Kya and the others had parked their craft at an undisclosed location under the water and come ashore. But they had taken several items with them just so that they could not be unarmed. But the simple water skins she had looped on the back of her combat dive suit were used for water dancing and didn't serve any operational purpose other than giving her something to relieve her stress with as they awaited final clearance to participate in the rescue mission.

That was when the Cloneblade girl started to move closer as she inched her way closer. Between their fordable combat capabilities the Cloneblades tended to act like curious children and were fascinated by some of the smallest things. And right now this girl's fascination was her. Kya let out and finished the sequence of her dance and returned the water to her water satchels.

"Like the Show?" Kya said turning towards the girl who promptly ducked and hid. Kya just grinned as she realized that this was the emotional skittish small blue and pink one she had seen on the video feeds. "You know, I can still see your leg." With that the leg was pulled out of range. Kya waited as she slowly worked her way over to a towel she had hung over the edge of a sign and started to pat herself down. "You know, from what I hear is that the Witchblade Masane went to defend you when you were in that dimensional void you and the others had been pulled into. I mean Kiani is spending so much time with Asagi that I am wondering I should ask her about why you have a scar on the back of your wrist?"

"Don't . . . ." A small voice called out from the distance. With that slowly the small form of the girl started to reveal herself as she came out from hiding. Kya watched as the girl's slender frame inched around the edge of the sign. "I will tell you." Slowly the girl moved to a point where she got to the edge and dropped down a good distance to the ground. Kya was surprised given the height of the girl who stood at least a head shorter than she was.

"Okay . . . " Her voice sounded small as she kept armored up. There was something defensive about how she was getting as she looked down at the ground. "I got the scar when Darkness ripped one of the Dual Cloneblades from my wrist." the girl slowly rubbed her wrist remembering the pain and the fear present when she had been violated. Kya slowly reached out and took the girl's hand as the young Cloneblade rushed forward and hugged her.

"I . . . I didn't mean . . . know that . . . " Kya was at a loss for words as the pink and blue Cloneblade started to cry. For all the power that the Witchblade and its clones provided, the person inside of that armor was very, very mortal and could be very scared when they got hurt. With that Kya decided that just hugging the girl was the best thing to do for the time being to let her know that she wasn't alone right now. Kya kicked herself mentally as she realized that there was a lot she and the others didn't know about the Cloneblades and at this moment she had wished she had not spoken those words she had said. "It is going to be okay . . . It's going to be okay . . ." Kya said as she kissed the girl through the hair as she cried. For some reason the girl looked up at her through tear stained eyes that had gone from being black and green to Grayish Blue and White.

"You Think?"

"Yeah . . . I didn't mean to bring up a bad memory."

"No . . . Just it was a bad experience . . ." There as a long pause from the girl as she listened to Kya's heartbeat. "I miss my Maria . . ." With that the crying girl started to snuggle deeper between Kya's breasts. "She would let me sneak into her bed and sleep with her whenever I got scared after she became my friend back where we used to live." There was a slow reaching feeling Kya was getting on her lower body as the girl went down and started to squeeze Kya's buttocks with her fingers like a lover would. "I miss having cuddle sex with her. Things felt so right afterwards, just us in the bed lying naked next to each other and feeling safe in wrapped in each other's arms. She didn't mind me talking about baseball when we were like that or what my day was like." This was when Kya realized that this Cloneblade liked girls and was missing her girlfriend. "It was peaceful, nothing but us… then and there. I would sleep safe knowing she was there with me."

"Okay . . ."

"Do you want to have cuddle sex with me so that I can feel that way again? I don't want to be disloyal to her, but your body and how you move is the closest thing I have seen to having my Maria back." the Cloneblade said looking her in the eyes, in a pleading way that expressed themselves in volumes as sex and physical contact meant the same thing in her mind. Kya knew that this was going to be a long day as the girl snuggled her nose between Kya's breasts. The Cloneblade girl seemed to calm down as she listened to Kya's heartbeat. "I miss hearing her heart, the smell of her skin. I even miss the way her underwear would stink when she had her period." There were streams of tears coming from this girl's face at this time. "I want to by my Maria again and feel safe again." The girl leaned into Kya sobbing. "Please, can I sleep with you, just for a little while?" Kya could feel this girl's heart breaking within her arms. "Not really, I have someone . . . that I have been sleeping with." Kya realized that she had been spending a lot of time with Jayce, and in the last week or so they had shared a bunk together after a hard day getting equipment into place for this upcoming operation. But hearing herself say it, she sort of understood where this girl was coming from. That warm safe feeling one has in another's arms. It wasn't much but it meant the world when you were in love. With that Kya decided to help this Cloneblade channel her energies into something creative. That and Kya was feeling this girl's fingers work their way between her legs and towards her womanhood that was covered by her dive suit. Kya cleared her throat and got the girl's attention. "But what else makes you feel happy and safe other than that with Maria? I mean they are not always there but I do keep something with me while they are away. I have a shirt that I wear of someone I care about while they are away. It reminds me that there are there in spirit." Kya waited for a response from the girl. "Do you have something of your Maria's that you have with you?"

"A corset . . . it is a little big for me, but Maria used to wear it and she gave it to me as a gift." There was a long pause from the girl. "My boobs barely fit the cups of it, but I think she gave it to me because I liked how it felt on my skin . . . and the way it smelled of her."

"What else about it makes you feel connected to her?"

"It reminds me about making Maria happy while I was with her and that I liked her kissing my naked back."

Yeap, this was going to be a very long day, this girl didn't know the difference between sexual love and emotional love. To her they were one and the same thing. With that Kya decided that was going to change. This girl would learn what the difference was between love and lust was, and probably become a better lover for it. For Maria's sake. "How about we do something that will make Maria happy when we finally reunite you with her?" With those words the Cloneblade stopped her progression down Kya's ass and looked up at her. "Like what?" Kya took her thumb and wiped a few tears from the Cloneblade's face sensing that the sooner she directed this girl away from wanting to fornicate with her to something more productive the better she was off.

"Well what makes Maria happy when you two are not enjoying each other with cuddle sex and heavy kissing?"

"Well she likes to dance . . . Spar, and play with her stuffed animals."

"And that was the reason that you were watching me?" The girl nodded several times like a small child would: "Okay, the first thing we are going to do is called mirroring. This should start you out with the basics of learning to dance."

"You are going to teach me to dance like you?" Kya could see that she was on the right path. "We'll start with the basics, and then given how you do, we'll go from there." Kya felt the girl's hug as in a way she had gained a student. Maybe this was for the best . . . The Witchblade had a lot on her plate so anything she could do to make things a little easier for this warrior in creating her legion all the better. With that Kya walked the Cloneblade out to the middle of the simulated intersection and started her instruction with the girl. "Okay the first thing we are going to do is start off with stretching. This should allow me to learn how flexible you are with your body and then we'll . . ."

* * *

Shiori as sitting on a hill in the other realm, given that there wasn't much scenery to this place that didn't feel like it was moving around. It just felt nice to decompress.

That was when Yagi showed up and sat down next to her and gave her a shoulder to lean on. In the time she had gotten to know the guy, he had a sort of older sibling affection for her and given the drinking contest they had gotten into with Muraki's hooch, well they had bonded as friends. Though Shiori did get away with punching Yagi in the arm from time to time . . .This was something she playfully did as a sign of sisterly affection between the two of them as he became her friend. When they talked they understood that in their old lives they had sort of the same jobs while working with their bosses. Though Yagi didn't lust after his employer as she did, but he did understood more about the process that had created the Cloneblades that her sisters wore, the X-Blades the former ExCons wore, the I-Blades the former I-Weapons wore and his Ultimateblade.

At this time feeling the living ground slightly heave under her heels in this strange twilight place, having someone to lean on and speak about the events she had seen meant the world to her. She felt safe talking about stuff to him and he wasn't freaked out by seeing her in her second phase armored form.

"So . . . I heard about you making contact with the other side?" Yagi said as he pushed up his glasses on his face. For some strange reason those items on his face had survived being brought here to this realm and made him seem approachable to the other blades living here. The guy looked like an armored tank in his full form, but with those geeky glasses… Well it makes him seem less threatening.

"Yeah . . ." Shiori sighed hard. The journeys between plains of existence took a lot out you and for Maria; she had pretty much passed out and crumpled into a pile in her mother's arms. Shiori, well after two hours of sleep, had to get up and move around. This pretty much included a trip to the bathroom to urinate, but going back to sleep was out of the question as her mind was racing too much to let her body rest for a little while. So she decided to go out for a while to clear her head. Turning over to see Yagi grin some she smiled back.

"Sorry, the trips take a lot take a lot out of you." Shiori said as she rolled a creak out of her neck. "I mean your body is catatonic here, but there you are astral projected into the fullness of things." Shiori felt her mind want to rest, but her body screamed . . . **_wake the fuck up and move around!_**

"So what did you hear?" Yagi said adjusting his feet into the ground.

"Well, they are getting the supplies together to fish us out of the water and prepping just in case any ExCons or I-Weapons show up." Shiori felt a hand touch her shoulders and start to rub slowly but firmly and the tension started to work itself free. "Thanks . . . " Shiori grinned then moaned as Yagi worked his thumbs into the worse spots of it.

"OHHHH . . . yeaaaahhhh. Where the fuuuucccc . . . . diiii Yuuuu . . . . leee eerrrr nnnnn theeeee zzzz?" Yagi grinned as the Buxom Cloneblade kept moaning through her words as her foot started tapping the ground like a puppy dog whenever a person finds and scratches that "good spot" on them that will make them your friend for life even if they only show up infrequently.

"From many hours massaging my mom's back after she came home after a long day of work back when I was a kid, it made her happy and she said that any woman who would take me a as a husband would be glade to have me." Shiori's eyes rolled back in her head as her body started to relax what control she had over it became soft gooey orgasmic putty in Yagi's magical hands.

"Teee reeeeccccciiihhhh Reeee naaaaa . . . .. theeeee zzzz . . . Plaaaaaaaaaa eeeee zzzzzzz." A drooling tongue came out of Shiori's mouth as she started to slump against her knees. If they got out of here, she would offer up to be a test dummy so that she could teach him the pleasures of Lesbian love making on a woman's parts. Shit… she would tell him where to touch a woman to make them orgasm… Check, he knew that part already with where his fingers were working on her back… Hell she would be the wing chick to help hook him up with whatever woman he wanted to be with at whatever bar they went to for the returning to the mortal world after this.

Fuck, this felt great.

If she wasn't so much into girls, she would have mounted the Yagi and shoved his man parts into her and not gave a damn. Pooping out Yagi faced babies didn't seem like a bad aftermath for feeling like this all the time. If Riena learned this . . . Shiori wouldn't leave her or the bed for days being wrapped in Riena's entangled naked beautiful limbs.

"Yeah . . . add that to the list of things that I need to do when we get out of here." Yagi slowed down as Shiori started to compose herself as she wiped away the large amount of drool seeping from her mouth. "So, how is Lady Soho doing?" Shiori just looked worried at Yagi's question as she sighed resting her face on her knees and groaned before shrugging herself back to normal and the near orgasm she felt on her flesh.

"She is doing well." Shiori brushed her mouth with the back of her hand. "Mostly, since Maria has given up her position as leader of the Cloneblades to her, things have been fairly in control." Shiori's shoulders sagged. "I was expecting more of a power struggle with the First and Second Generation sisters for continuing Father's work. But I don't know . . ." With that Shiori saw Nora looking over the edge of the hill. "Though considering Nora over there was one of Father's favorites . . ." Shiori motioned a hand over the orange armored figure looking at them from the top of the hill. "But since we were brought back to life, I think she got de-bitched and had the stick surgically removed from her ass by Darkness and Angelus is what makes me worried about what else they did to her given that she has been watching us from a distance over the last few weeks." Shiori said as she rubbed her neck some as Yagi dug his knuckles into her lower back around her Venus Dimples which made her spread her toes out in relief as she sighed. "I think that a few of us got more than we bargained for when we got slapped back together and were faced to look at who we were and some of our past actions." Shiori said as she bleached out the bad taste in her mouth with her tongue from the tension being released from her body.

"Yeah, I see that too among some of the former ExCons and the I-Weapons." Yagi said seeing Nora's red armor more clearly now. "It is like, most of the badness that we were got yanked out. I mean there are a few of the guys that had criminal records feel like they have been redeemed. While a few of the others look like, well . . . Nora there." Nora getting the feeling she was the topic of conversation started to come towards them.

"You two are talking about me right?" Nora said a bit nervous as she sat down next to Shiori, at this moment Shiori got a good look at Nora's face. Her appearance had changed quite a bit. It was as if several years had been taken off of her.

"Well not exactly, but what happened to you is." There was a long look at the ground away from them as Nora leaned against Shiori as if those words meant a lot to her. Like the huge question that had been hanging in the air about her was brought out into the open.

"I remember things . . . That I wasn't a nice person . . . " Nora sneaked over and sat next to Shiori. The spider armored girl with her blond hair pulled back from its over one eye tail and horns to being pulled back behind her head and kept in place with a woven headband of hair. The appearance made her look more like a spider as a result but right now Nora looked more like a scared young woman in a cheap comic book convention costume. " . . . that I served a really bad person that took advantage of people." There was a huff out of the girl. "I really sucked at being myself. I mean I was so competitive about getting ahead and didn't realize that I was being used." With that Nora hit the ground with her fist so hard that the ground heaved upwards reacting in pain. Shiori and Yagi braced against each other as the hill jumped a few times before settling down.

"Crap, I hate that." Shiori said as she looked around as the 'hills' moved some before heaving up or dropping down some.

"Yeah . . . The ground here is a group of living creatures and I don't want to know what they eat." Yagi said as one 'hill' belched before it spun around and sat back down in the distance. Nora rolled over on her stomach and with armor's spider legs started to rub the hill's back like a big giant hand. After a moment the hill relaxed and started to sag underneath them before becoming normal again.

"How did you do that?" Shiori said as Nora's spider legs retracted back into her armor.

"I watched Yagi rub your back and realized that if that made you into a drooling puddle, well . . . it worked…" Nora said flicking her hair back into place. Nora no longer looked like the queen scary bitch that Father used as his aid, This Nora was younger, smarter, well rebuilt from the ground up. That and the lack of blue lipstick made her look . . . Well better and lest like the aid to Father she had been.

"Nora . . ." Shiori moved over and traced the face of her sister NeoGene's face. "What happened to you after you were . . ." Shiori knew that whatever was going on with Nora wasn't her . . . and the feeling in her gut screamed . . . this happened to you too . . .

"I remember fighting Riena for a young NeoGene Hybrid that had gotten away from us five years ago . . ." There was a blank stare for a moment . . . "I remember fighting Riena . . . ." Blank stare . . . "I remember fighting Riena . . . ." Shiori quickly slapped Nora out of the loop before she started again.

"Oh, my God . . . . You don't have any memories after that fight . . . " Shiori looked scared as the Orange armored Cloneblade started to process this. The look of confusion came over the girl's face. "Compete… No… Don't compete…" Nora said as she started to work through her memories. "Witchblade… Obey… Witchblade…. Father…" There was a shake to the girl's head as she started to retrace her steps through the castle of her mind and started to realize that it had been remodeled. "Obey Fa… No…. Obey Witch…..blade." Shiori looked over to Yagi who came over and placed a hand on Nora's shoulder. "List your directives…." Yagi said in a comforting voice to Nora whose eyes locked onto him. "Can you list your directives for me Cloneblade Nora?" With that Nora started to speak like an automated system. "Obey Witchblade's commands. Preserve one's life unless ordered otherwise. Do not let Witchblade come to harm even at the cost of one's life." Nora looked confused. Yagi looked concerned as she said this. "Nora… how long have you known these directives?" Yagi said touching the Cloneblade's wrist. Nora looked confused as she started to kick backwards until she collided with Shiori.

"Yagi, what is it?" Shiori said as she reached over and wrapped her arms around Nora's body. That was when Yagi looked up to the top of the Hill and Shiori followed his line of sight to where he was looking. "So you figured it out!" A female voice said. Shiori knew the armored female was Cleo, the human host of Angelus. Next to Cleo stood Tobias, the human host to the Darkness, a guy that could scare the crap out of you that you would know what you had for breakfast a month ago. "What did you do to Nora?" Shiori called out as Nora shook in fear in the Cloneblade's arms. "A few things that you don't want to know about…" Tobias said walking down the hill. Yagi armored up completely and raised his weapon to defend the two girls from harm. "What did you do to her?" Shiori demanded from the avatars of the two divine beings. There was a long sigh from Cleo who took and sat down on the hill. "To make a long story short. We rebooted her after doing a rebuild of her mind." Cleo said looking at Nora.

"What in Hell does that mean." Shiori formed up her armored scythe with her arm and placed it to Cleo's neck.

"The Nora here, isn't the same Nora you knew from before." By this time Tobias sat down next to her.

"Nora's body isn't the original . . . It is a clone. Now like some of you, we had good templates to work with to do a regrow on. That wasn't so bad. But in Nora's case most of her personality got wiped when she died. The only information we had was the impressions that her Cloneblade had of her, so we reproduced her personality from that" Tobias added to the conversation. "With you Shiori, and a few others we had a few problems." With this Cleo took up the topic at hand.

"Shiori, your blade didn't want to constrained. So it rebelled out of the chamber you were in and ran." Shiori traced her stomach as she remembered the image of her entrails hanging out of her body.

"I remember being found a field . . . then . . ." Shiori reached to touch her blade and remembered what they had said. "You had to replace my blade." Shiori said softly.

"We did . . . your blade had a psychotic break and we had to replace it with one of the blades that had been removed from one of the dualblade users. Her name was Aoi . . . " Shiori recognized the name.

"That was Maria's girlfriend . . . I have one of Aoi's blades!" Shiori remembered seeing the girl when Maria came to tears as she reached out to take her into her arms. So much emotion like Shiori herself felt for Riena. Shiori became deep in thought as she felt her Cloneblade attempt to hug her close in affection.

"Yes, and we are glade that we were able to stabilize the link between you and your blade." This was when Cleo took over the conversation. "When restoring Nora here, because the personality template we had available was based on the impression it left on her cloneblade. Well you can see the result." Nora traced her features with her hands.

"I am not me . . ." Nora said a bit scared as she swallowed down her pride to process this new information. "But my memories . . ." Nora looked at her hands then collapsed in defeat against Shiori . . . "They are not my memories are they . . . They were this woman's." Nora looked at Yagi and sighed and looked at Shiori as she slowly started to trace her finger into the ground and spelled out her name. NORA . . . After a moment she added an 'H' at the end "I am Norah . . . a clone." In a way those words brought about some comfort to the NeoGene. "I am a clone . . . of a bitch . . . that doesn't mean that I have to be a Bitch." With that Norah held up her arm and started to squeeze the muscle of her bicep with her free hand. "I need to work out more." Shiori realized that this clone was making up her own mind and decisions of who she wanted to be. Yagi turned to look at the two avatar hosts before them.

"So how much did you Robocop our minds to fit your new parameters to obey the Wtichblade?" Cleo and Tobias shrugged.

"Just enough that you wouldn't have the desire to harm the Witchblade with your own formidable powers." Tobias said Cleo took over.

"Hey . . . I didn't like the idea, but considering that you all have clones of the Witchblade attached to you, we had to do something to prevent you all from going on a slaughter spree if one of you decided to have a temper tantrum."

"So the programming is behavioral to protect others?" Shiori said realizing the situation before them and her own very violent past as she remembered the man she had murdered in an ecstasy induced fervor.

"Sort of . . . consider it a safety net for both you and your Cloneblades so that can keep each other in check." Cleo said touching Shiori's arm.

"So what about the former Ex-Con and the I-Weapons . . . do they have the same safety net as well?" Yagi said remembering his own Fraternity buddies he had been living with for the last few weeks.

"They do . . . and like you Yagi, the amount of control that you have is based upon that connection you have with others around you." Cleo added.

"Hey . . . Because of this mess we have a civilization of Witchblades running around." Tobias added. "We had to do something to make sure that you didn't kill each other for power. Angelus and Darkness learned this the hard way centuries ago, so put some pecking order in was the best thing we could do." Tobias leaned back and sighed. "Hell, I want to break out of this place with you guys and bring Cleo with me." Norah looked at Tobias and realized that they were all wanting to get out of here.

"You want to come with us!?" Norah said realizing that these two hadn't come here to harm them, but to make a deal.

"Why?" Yagi said looking at the two beings.

"Because, me and Cleo got sent here when we were children. We practically grew up here. When The Witchblade punched a hole through the realms . . . Well . . . take a guess. There is so much out there we want to do. I don't mind siding with you all to bail out of here if it meant helping you all make a home where we felt safe." With that Tobias offered his hand to Yagi.

"Okay . . . But what about Darkness and Angelus . . . Wouldn't they be pissed if you bailed on them?" Shiori said looking at the two.

"Shiori, they have carved out this realm as their home after they got stuck here and I got the feeling that even if we did bail out of here, they would want us to report back about what their kid, the Witchblade was up to." Cleo said flexing her angelic wings out of her back before yanking an errant feather out from her wing and started to play with it to give her hands something to do.

"Okay, we will think about it, but remember when we bail, we all bail together . . . Understood!" Yagi said flexing into his full armored form which impressed the two avatar beings.

"We understand . . ." Tobias said as Cleo nodded in agreement.

"Now let's plan our jail break." Shiori said taking Cleo's father from her and started to writing on the ground and Nora lending ideas of how to sneak these two out past their parents.

* * *

Asagi leaned into the hot tub full of ice. Every muscle hurt, ached, and screamed as the cold water hit her flesh. She felt zapped of energy. She didn't care if she was clothed or not. Whatever strength she had to peel off her unitard had been used instead to dump the buckets of ice in here before she laid inside of it. After a long moment the coldness started its magic and it felt great as muscles unclenched and built up endorphens flooded her brain causing her moan in pleasure. This was better than the time she found out that using an electric toothbrush other than brushing your teeth brought about this level of pleasure.

Kiani was right... sometimes you needed some perspective on your life... and having a decent sparring partner wasn't so bad who knew a thing or two about having a hard life. That was when Kiani walked in and sat down by her outside of the tub. There was so much she had learned from this seasoned warrior about life that Asagi felt safe for once in her life.

"Hey girl." Kiani said bringing up a chair to sit next to her in the tub. "So resting from our sparring session?" Asagi nodded as she sloshed some water up between her breasts to work some more soothing coldness along her flesh.

"It feels strange..." Asagi said as she lay in the water. "I mean... you didn't so much hold back when we spared... but you wanted to see how I could improve." there was a long pause from her as she thought about the words she would speak. "You didn't talk down to me. You talked to me... As a person... Not a thing! Even when I was in my full combat form, you kept making me get better. Taking breaks... Showing me sword moves... Foot Positions... Blocks... and talking not all strength lay in the blade, but the warrior's heart... and timing."

"That is something I picked up from my first Swordmaster." There was a sigh from Kiani and Asagi understood. It is not every day that you know the issue at hand that isn't spoke, but exists there in a person's history. "But knowing that you know my past... and I mean my entire past... Stuff that I haven't told my own children about tells me that you understand what I mean." Asagi felt a little worried about this but seeing the warm smile on Kiani's face spoke volumes to her. With that Kiani reached into the water and took Asagi's hand in her own.

"I have been lied to so much in my life... that having this power to see the truth..." Asagi exhaled at the realization of this.

"Changes things..." Kiani said looking at the girl with unspoken understanding.

"I feel like, I have met a kindred spirit. Not exactly the same experiences... But feeling the same way from like pains, same hurts.." There was a slow nod from Kiani as she rubbed the top of Asagi's head with a soothing hand of water that washed out some of the sweat and dirt from the NeoGene's hair.

"Having a little insight into knowing that there is hope for beings like us who have had our paths bathed in pain."

"Yeah..." Asagi said squeezing Kiani's hand in understanding. "Like ... what a mother should be teaching her children even if we didn't truly have one." Asagi had up and said it. Mother... She looked scared at Kiani and nearly withdrew her hand before Kiani reached and grabbed her. "I would be proud to have you as a daughter... Asagi of the Children of the Masamune ." Kiani said in that moment feeling pain and all Asagi reached up and hugged Kiani and started to cry. There wasn't much that needed to be said after that as Asagi found a mother she had so wanted in her short life.

"Are you going to be my aunt Miss Asagi?" A voice creaked out and over in the corner was standing little Killa and Rhioko. In a way seeing the little Blue child in her traditional aquatic garments and Rhioko wearing her mock Witchblade armor made sense given the bonds that were being forged at this time. Killa inched over to her Grandmother who motioned for her to continue coming over to the hot tub where Asagi lay.

"If your Grandmother will accept me?" Asagi said as she winced through moving as several blocks of ice dug into her side as they crunched as she moved in the tub.

"You want to join my family, even if I am not human?" Kiani's voice cracked some under the weight of this decision.

"Human or not, this is the way I feel." Asagi said as she reached out of the tub.

"Well, I wouldn't mind you joining the family." Kiani said as Killa inched over to Asagi.

"Are you going to be my aunt?" The girl said looking at Asagi's ice water soaked body worried.

"Well... Not Aunt... but more like a cousin." Kill reached out and took Asagi's hand and shook it a little.

"Okay..." The girl said before walking over to her grandmother."Grandma... mind that you read a story to me." Asagi grinned.

"I wouldn't mind listening too." Asagi added given that she was now leaning over the edge of the tub. Rhioko who was watching all of this looked at Asagi and grinned.

"See... I told you it would work out." the girl said as she moved over to give Kill a hug. that was when buzz started to come from the small purse that Rhioko had slung over her shoulder. Unzipping the purse, Rhioko fished out a small child-size phone that looked like a turtle and flipped it open. "It's mom... " Rhioko said as she listened to her mom talk on the phone. Kiani's grinned some at this little image played out.

"I was the same way with Killa's mother the first few years." There was a bit of sadness in her voice and she picked up Killa and placed the girl on her knee. "So much I did wrong, but so much I got right." with that she blew a kiss into her Granddaughter's hair.

"What do you mean... So much wrong and So Much right?" Asagi said looking at Kiani.

"You will know when you become a mother." Asagi reached out to touch Kiani but stopped as Killa offered up her hand sensing somewhat what Asagi's powers were.

"Here, you use your powers on me." With that Asagi felt Kill's childhood before her and started to cry as she for once experienced a semi-normal childhood through her eyes and Killa started to see tears of joy come across Asagi's face. With that NeoGene and Blue grinned in unspoken understanding of what a Mother's and Grandmother's love could be.

* * *

Well I hope that you have liked this chapter so far.

I have planned for the next chapter to be more Masane based so stay tuned for that.

Oh and Rhioko's costume is based off of a model figurine that I found online at Figure- . I was thinking of her using a dark blue uniard and building up from there. Most of where that costume came from will be mentioned in the next chapter with Masane learning more about her role as being a leader.

Please Review, I enjoy hearing from you all.

Hearns


	22. Chapter 22

To all of the readers who have stayed with me through the writing of this story, I thank you. I am sorry for taking so long to update to this chapter, but between school and work, I have gotten through some considerable hurdles to get this chapter out to you.

Well I hope that you like what I have written, now on with the story.

* * *

Chapter 22

* * *

Masane sat before the monitors that displayed the various heads of the agencies that she would be dealing with in sorting out the entire Cloneblade exodus. Somehow Luna had been able to coach Masane through all of the nuances of the politics that were involved in a multi-governmental shuffle that would be involved in helping get these folks home.

First off Masane had to state who she was and what her agenda was to these people in clear and precise terms. Then this was followed by stating of what she needed to fulfill her task in every last detail. After that she needed to answer the questions that were given to her in short brief answers, which Masane thought was redundant, but Luna had stated this was to ensure that everything was covered to the official letter of the law. And finally with a little prayer, Masane might get what she needed to accomplish the task she had at hand.

The figures looked to be wearing the standard clothing attire that Masane dreaded whenever she had to dealt with Japan's child welfare division in fighting to keep Rhioko her's.

Now sitting behind the table wearing the same blue business suit Masane had to wear as Masaya Wado's secretary, Masane felt like she was some flunky to people who had real power. That was when she started to explain the situation at hand. For the last few days Masane had been in communication with the trapped NeoGenes and former ExCons that had been sucked into the Other Realm. The situation was stable for now given that Reina had established herself as being the leader of the small group of NeoGenes she was with at this time. That had soothed some nerves from the various governments Masane was dealing with now, but the idea of there being armed Cloneblades running about had them concerned. The idea of having servants of Darkness and Angelus had them on edge given the history of those two had left in their wake. Most of that history Masane had spent most of a week learning about and she understood just why they were hesitant about helping her out. Just by the mere idea of having an army at the disposal of these two which was capable of slaughtering entire cities in a matter of hours was something Masane understood far too well where they got this idea from. Her own mess she had done in Tokyo had added fuel to their fears and had left them on edge.

In their mind, having Darkness and Angelus contained in a pocket dimension was the best for everyone given the large messes they had left in their wake over the centuries. So the idea of making a direct incursion into the realm that these beings were now calling home was the last thing on everyone's mind. Hell that was the last place Masane wanted to go back to. With that Masane decided to tell the truth and not sugar coat it.

Masane soothed a few nerves when she stated that this wasn't going to be an invasion into that realm, but it would be a scoop up operation to fish those who would be coming through the portal to Earth. That these Cloneblades and former I-weapons had been deprogrammed and healed from their injuries and wanted to return to Earth to atone for some of their past deeds they had committed in their weaponized forms.

All Masane was asking for was essentially boats, clothing, and some supplies to feed these folks until they got back on their feet. There were some hesitant nods of agreement there. The only reason she was asking for some light munitions for military operations was so that they could deal with any I-weapons or ExCons that showed in a feeding frenzy to hurt these innocent people.

The idea of getting rid of more of these automated weapons got a few nods from the harsher critics. Though the head of the NSDF was a little skittish about that happening in an urban area, but if the forces could be bottled into a single area, then this would solve tracking down each I-Weapon and ExCon individually. This was when the Agency heads started to question her more intently and Masane felt like a small child in a room full of adults.

The questions Masane had thrown at her pertained to issues of what she would do when these Cloneblades came thru. Would Masane be their leader? Would Masane try to vie for political power? And other stuff that just drove Masane nuts.

Mostly Masane stated that she would her best to make sure that these kids were given a chance. Then the information was given to her stating that the files Furumizu had on his computer system had been copied off of his computer system by a well-known computer hacker and everything that could be known about the Witchblade, the NeoGenes and the Cloneblades was now floating around out in the world. Masane was floored when the person who had stated this showed a file on Rhioko and the words _NeoGene Hybrid_across the document nearly made Masane Blade up. But Luna stopped her as she placed a thumb-drive in Masane's hand and the Post-cognition information encoded on it from Zolton flowed into her mind. The information on the drive stated that this was a power play to egg her on and to force her to show her hand in why she wanted all of these "living weapons" to return to Earth. All of this game of hidden political agendas started to make Masane feel like she was in a God damn high stakes poker game and she didn't know if she was supposed to bluff or play her next card. At this time, the only thing Masane could work out of her mouth about this situation was through gritted teeth was the following words:

"I understand the situation. We are screwed and the idea that there are Cloneblades being possibly made by other governments and or can be taken down to be used for God knows what. One of those Cloneblades that is being held in this Dimensional void that has decided to return, has information about how the NeoGenes were made." There was a long pause as there was some muted chat as they shifted between themselves about the topic at hand then the conversation resumed with Masane.

"The board has decided to aid you at this time. But remember the NeoGenes that come through are on propitiatory probation and even if one of them screws up. It will be your ass. So keep theme in line!" Masane nodded at that statement.

"Good... the board hereby signs off on the rescue mission. The material and personnel will be given to extract the NeoGenes that come through the portal and land in the water. There will be no incursion through the portal under any circumstance. We do not have any or much intel on what might be on the other side of it and we do not want to become involved in an inter-dimensional incident. These individuals coming through have asked for refugee status and we will be granting it to them under the terms we have outlined to you. Do you understand the terms of which you are agreeing to Ms. Amaha?"

With that Masane nodded again and stated she would do beyond her best to do what was right. Then the screens went dark with the IOA logo and Masane fell back into get chair. One mess down, another one to go.

* * *

Rhioko was running around with Killa. It was strange, yet normal to be friends with a girl who had superpowers. Killa and her were running around in a traditional dress that looked nice on both of them given that they had come from the Blue. Who names their people after a color? But Killa was fun to play with given what she could do with a bottle of water. It was stuff she had seen astronauts do on television. The group of water bubbles Killa had fly across the room was great, even at one point using the bubbles to make a doll fly across the room. But it was when they played with dolls it that brought about the most fun between the two girls as they bonded talking about their parents and talked about their lives.

It was like when Killa spoke in her native language while they were playing with their dolls that had Rhioko glued to her every word as the girl spoke about her home under the sea, it was amazing. It was like hearing a choir singing on Christmas Day as Rhioko watched Killa dress and redress the dolls she had in the styles familiar to her people.

The two girls went as far as to even ask Miss Courtney, who had a really neat printer that could create doll furniture and tools from yards of plastic powder, to make some of the clothes and accessories for Killa and Rhioko to use for their dolls.

It was fun seeing the construction process play out before them. Given it took about an hour to make the stuff as it was built up layer by layer on the machine she had. But it was when Miss Courtney let them play with her computer and the holographic interface to create the some of the doll clothing which got the girl's attention as they unleashed their creativity on the virtual figures. Creating the clothing this way and left the two girls enthralled as they waited for Rhioko's mom and Killa's grandmother to finish up with their meetings for that day.

It was when Miss Courtney came in while they were finishing up on the large sets of wardrobes for their dolls and said that Rhioko's mom was done with her set of meetings for the day. Rhioko grinned at hearing that and quickly returned to adding the last touches of a mini version of her mom's costume for one of her dolls. Killa had leaned over from her own creation that featured a female figure in some native clothing of her own people that looked a whole like they were wearing sea creatures on their bodies given how strange it looked.

For Rhioko Miss Courtney had been there during the months her mom was missing and she had let her play with this printer equipment so that she could help her cope with her feelings of loss. In a way Rhioko had seen Miss Courtney sort of the same way as Miss Marry was when she and her mom first had come to live in Tokyo all those months ago. Rhioko even liked it when the two of them had gone over to Miss Marry's to have lunch or dinner every couple of days so that she could meet her old friends and learn what they were up to since the night her mom had disappeared.

Now since Rhioko's mom had returned, Miss Courtney had been spending some time talking with her mom in private and showing her stuff she had made. There were times that her mom cried, but other times where she just bit her lip as if she had something wrong, but mostly Rhioko realized it was guilt for being gone so long. It wasn't her fault that she got sucked into that other place when Tokyo Tower disappeared. From what she heard, it took her mom a while to get back because she was hurt fighting all of those robot tank things that had been coming into the city. With that Killa tapped Rhioko on the shoulder.

"Rhioko..." Killa fiddled with the small translator that she had around her neck. "It is going to be okay." Killa said through the translator with it occasionally syncing out of phase. "My mom does stuff in other places around the world and she has to leave me with other family members... Especially my Grandma."

Rhioko leaned over to her friend and asked "What does your Mom do?" Killa moved away from a pair of figures that looked to be wearing a cross between beach swimwear and form fitting jogging clothes.

"She is an archeologist... We have or had a lot of colonies around the world." There was a bit of sadness to her voice. "Some were lost during wars or during earthquakes." with that Killa pulled off one of her bracelets on her arm and held it up. "She found this on one of her digs. My mom said that she found it in the remains of what looked to be a little girl's room and given that there are a lot of these found, she let me have one."

"It looks amazing." With that Rhioko held up her Feaublade bracelet. "A few days ago my mom took the bracelet I made in art class and had Miss Courtney use her machines to glaze it with something to make it look more like her's."

"Yeah, I think that both of our mom's care about us and want to do little things to let us know they are there even if they can't be there in person." Rhioko nodded at this when her mom walked in.

"Rico..." Rhioko's mom said as she had something in her arms as Miss Courtney came in with her. "Courtney and I for the past few days decided that after the little adventure that you and I had and meeting with Reina and your half sister Maria that you might want to have this." With that Rhioko's mom knelt down and handed Rhioko a present. It took a moment for Rhioko to wonder what it was for. Rhioko's birthday had happened months earlier and her mother was there. The only other time she got presents like this was when something was up and things were going to get real bad. So Rhioko slowly opened it up. Inside there was a strange garment. At first Rhioko thought it was a dress until more of it started to unfold out and she started to recognize what it looked like and her mom was grinning. "I know it is nothing like the costume I wear, but given what Courtney here has said about how you have been acting and what you have been designing on your dolls. I decided that while we are here in this place about having some fun." That was when Rhioko's mom reached in and pulled out a pair of gloves that looked like her mom's claws. "If you don't mind changing real quick, I'll put these on you."

With that Rhioko hugged her mom and raced into the next room to change clothes. After a moment of messing with the garment to make it fit right on her, Rhioko walked out wearing her costume. This was when Killa came over to admire Rhioko and smiled.

"I have seen images of your kind in your armor, but this early kind of dress looks good on you. I mean it sort of looks like some of the clothes my people wear." With that Killa touched the shoulders of the costume. "Though I would put more coral arms on the shoulders." Killa said as she looked at the shoes and backed away a little as Rhioko looked at Killa's feet. Killa only had sandals on but the sharpened blade structures on Rhioko's feet looked like they could do a quite a bit of damage to her friend's feet. This was when Rhioko decided to take a few steps back and wondered if she was scaring Killa in the process.

"Don't back away Rhioko..." Killa said "You look great in this form and it reminds me a little of equipment my mom wears while she is on archaeological digs." This was when Rhioko's mom came over and knelt down on the floor.

"See Rhioko..." Rhioko could see her mom nudge the edge of the blade on her foot and it budged. "I had the footwear and the rest blades made out of foam so you wouldn't hurt anyone." Rhioko seemed a little sad at this. "But...This." Rhioko's mom reached into her bag to pull out a gauntlet like the one she used while monster fighting. "Me and Miss Courtney made this facsimile of mine based on some tech they have floating around here." With that Masane slipped it onto Rhioko's wrist and she armored up. "It will sort of mirror some of my powers such as the running and jumping I do, but you won't be able to hurt anyone with your claws." Rhioko looked at the gloved claw she had.

"Most of it is made out of foam rubber, tipped in gecko grip and has a mass reducer tied into a personal defense shield. The last one was at your mother's request." Miss Courtney said as she touched the back of the glove and turned it on. "We decided to give this to you now, but the rest of it including the holographic projector to do the fake tentacles that come out of your mom's back won't be completed until later tonight."

"You mean... that I can fight crime like you?" Rhioko said exited.

"No, Rhioko... I..." This was the moment that Rhioko sensed that there was another reason that she was getting this. "The main reasons that I am giving you this is that I have been talking with your Aunt Reina and she feels that you and Maria might get along better if you have similar capabilities power wise." Rhioko started to understand why she was being given this. "That and your age... even if you did get a blade like me or your half sister have, you might not be compatible with it because of how young you are... and I don't want to lose you. . . So, the gauntlet I am giving you is a Feaublade. Think of it like pair of training wheels for a bike. You won't have all of my powers, but you should have enough to keep you out of trouble and have some fun with me." This was when Rhioko felt her mom hug her tight letting her eyes glow with energy. "So how about in a little bit we try it out." Rhioko started to understand why she had been given the armor. Maybe it was her mom's way of getting closer to her after all that had happened and in a way to bond with her sister Maria when she finally came home.

"Okay Mom... Let's do that." This was when Killa looked over and hugged her too.

"Mind that I watch..." Killa said leaning against her.

"Sure..." Masane said as she tussled the alien girl's hair. "you can watch."

"That would be great Rhioko's mom." Killa said looking at her friend.

"Well, I'll let you two finish up with your doll making." Masane said as she moved over to a corner and took a seat.

"Okay..." With that the two girls went back over and started to save their files of the figurines they had created and sent them off to the printer to be made.

* * *

Masane knew that all of the hardware she had Courtney wire into that glove would only give Rhioko some limited protection from whatever threats came at her, but for the time being just enjoying this time with her daughter meant the world to her as they sprinted throughout the testing complex. Reiji had told her that this place was been big, but it was huge... The only section she had seen of it had been the urban testing area, but so far as she and Rhioko made their way through one of the side tunnels, they had entered into a countryside. Other than the feau painted sky on the curved dome surface above them, you would think they were outside. But this felt the most normal place as they made their way through the open landscape. Hearing Rhioko laugh with joy touched her heart as she slid to a stop by a stone wall.

Despite wearing her red armor, she felt that just being with her daughter was the right thing to do at this time. Masane watched as the force field occasionally lit up as Rhioko bounced off of some the surfaces she encountered.

"Masane." The Witchblade spoke up inside of Masane's head. "You know and I know the real reason that you gave Rhioko the armor in the first place." Masane sighed for a moment as Rhioko lemur jumped over a wall and did a series of grabs up the side of a wall to a simple brick house.

"Yeah... I know... Rhioko will be receiving your ass if anything happens to me or Luna." Masane watched as her little girl sat on the edge of the roof and enjoyed the sights. "That is something I have come to accept." Masane rubbed the back of her neck with her hand. "I am not happy about it, but seeing that have rules about when you will bond makes me feel a little better." Masane kicked the ground some with the heel of her boot. "Just don't make her lust crazy about violence like you did with me."

"Indeed, but I am truly sorry about causing you to orgasm every time we went into battle." Witchblade said as an understanding had come between the two. "It was the fastest way I could find to access your fight or flight instincts."

"Considering that you are plastered all over my naked body and you are a dude, you could have at least asked when you decided vibe my junk . . . or coped a feel." Masane felt her armor get a little loss around a few areas and Masane grinned. "Though I didn't say I didn't mind the attention. Just ask first. Oh and a little more coverage and grip around my breasts and a little more spread along the thong." Masane bit her lip as the Witchblade adjusted itself on her as she and softly groaned and agreement feeling a little more comfortable with the Witchblade on her. "Luna was right, when you work with the host; the underwear feels great in armor form." With that copped her breasts and gave them a nice mush together. "The first time in ages I have had a bra that fits."

This was when the Witchblade made a request of her.

"Masane... I need to use your body for a moment; I have to talk with Rhioko." There was something in Witchblade's voice that felt of true concern.

"What do you want to talk to her about?" Masane said looking at her daughter fretting about letting Witchblade do this or not.

"My sister... all of the stuff I did, and we did together while she was growing up. I just want to tell Rhioko that being what she is isn't a bad thing. It is just part of who she is."

"I'll let you speak, but I have to have it where I can but in at any time so that I do my Mother's prerogative."

"I will abide to your terms Masane." Witchblade said with a fully humble tone of voice.

"Okay..." Masane said as the Witchblade enveloped her and took on a masculine fully armored appearance over her body and headed over to Rhioko.

* * *

Rhioko loved this gift, from all of the wall running and the leaping from place to place with the low gravity belt she was wearing and seeing her Mom in her battle form enjoying herself. These were the better days in her life since her mom came back home and this time being with her made sense of why she had been away for so long. These powers her mom had were dangerous and given how skimpy her mom's costume looked, she didn't want to embarrass her.

That and wearing a costume that emulated some her mom's powers wasn't all that bad. But now sitting on top of this building and looking out at this forested area of the Douji testing facility, it was like a trip to the park.

That was when Rhioko saw her mom change her armor up and come towards her. Why would her mom want to look like a Man? But given how familiar the figure started to look like her mom's armor had changed into, maybe it had to do with her sister coming home soon.

"Rhioko... It is Witchblade; your mom has granted me permission to speak with you." The male voice was like the being she had heard when she and her mom had done that walk into her past with her armor. Rhioko remembered that somehow the two of them had been transported where her sister Maria and her birth mother Reina were now at through a fluke with her mom's powers.

"Hi..." Rhioko waved at the being.

"You are not afraid of me?" Rhioko shook her had to signal 'No'. "Why?"

"Because we met before and you don't seem to be all that scary. That and I have heard from the others that you are the individual that granted my mommy her powers."

"Oh..." The being took a step back realizing that to this child, was smarter than he had expected. "You know, I have a kid sister named Hope and I used to spend time with her and there are things that..."

"I know... I read some of my mommy's homework about the Witchblade." this is when Rhioko tilted her head at the figure before her. "You know that you look bigger in person than you were in that dream world that me and mommy went to." The giant quickly cleared his throat as hr looked a way for a moment.

"Yeah..." the awkwardness of the situation hit."Well, my host is letting me borrow their body for a little while so that I can talk with you." Witchblade leaned against the wall. "So, you like the Feaublade that your mom gave to you?" Rhioko nodded.

"Yeah... I like it. It is weird in seeing her run, but it is a lot different than what they showed on TV. She seems less hurried." Rhioko looked over the landscape and grinned. "I mean, I didn't know this place was this big. I mean it is like a super large park in here, but a little sad with all of the broken buildings and the holes in the ground."

"Well, most of the broken buildings were caused by the Monsters that your mom fought." Rhioko looked worried at the sound of that.

"The monsters were in here?" Rhioko looked around as the Feaublade armor's shields kicked in with a glowing pixie dust pattern to them.

"Yeah... at one time, this was a testing area to see how effective they could be in a fight." There was a long sigh from the Witchblade. "Hard to believe that they, the NeoGenes, Yourself, and your Mom are descendants of the same creatures." Rhioko looked worried at this. She was related to those monsters that tore through the city!? "Sorry about that, just that something went wrong them around the time of the quake and some went bad. And other just needed to be saved." The shields dropped down a little in intensity but were still up.

"Like my sister?" the Witchblade nodded.

"Like your sister and countless others." Witchblade walked over and picked up a piece of a broken scrapped car. "Some could be saved, while others... Well... wound up like that spider thing that attacked your Mom, Reiji and yourself." Rhioko looked worried still. "But those she did save don't want to hurt you. Most of them want to live their lives, have friends, families even a few want to have babies." There was a long sigh. "Looks like all of the stuff that your mom has to go through with the authorities is so that your people... The Masamune Sapiens, have a chance to be left alone."

"Masamune? like in Masane... my mom's name?" Rhioko creaked out concerned.

"Actually Masamune was the name of a great sword wielder and sword maker here in Japan. The authorities and the press accidently messed up and started to list your mom's name down as Lady Masamune." There the Witchblade shrugged. "The name sort of stuck." there was a long sigh from the Witchblade after that. "Though your mom is still a little freaked as being identified as Melanie the Masamune."

"Mr. Cho called her that a lot. Melanie I mean. I think it was in reference to the size of my Mom's boobs." there the Witchblade coughed.

"Yeah..." The voice was horse coming out of the creature. "I was a bit concerned when Cho started to want to go on and do sunscreen duty at the beach party."

"Yeap... Mr. Cho likes girls with big boobs. I think that is why he liked to help us out on paying our rent." Witchblade winced at this. "Did I say something wrong Mr. Witchblade?"

"No... Just that your mom wouldn't have approved of you saying that to anyone else." This was when Rhioko shrugged.

"Okay... but I hope that he found a girlfriend like the girls he looked at on his computer." Witchblade winced again. "I mean that is the way that I helped persuade Miss Marry in letting stay in our old apartment." this was when Rhioko got sad. "I miss our friends there." With that Witchblade walked over and found a section of knocked down wall and sat down.

"You know Rhioko, I have a sister. Her name is Hope. It has been ages since I last saw her." Witchblade leaned back some. "When she was younger we used to pay together. Mostly it was playing with blocks and me reading a story out to her to help her go to sleep when she got up at some ungodly hour of three in the morning." With this Rhioko came down off of her perch on the top of the building and approached Witchblade.

"You have a sister, is she like you?" Rhioko was curious at this time.

"Well she is a hybrid. Half Witchblade and half human." Witchblade rolled his eyes. "Trust me she was more Witch than anything else, but a Good Witch. Trust me right after she was born, she blasted Angelus across the room just wanting her to stay away from her and her mommy." With this Rhioko lean in and listen to the story. "She has had quite a life." With this Witchblade grinned. "Been a mom, had some problems, but through it all she has become a strong person because of it. Even with reality flipping around her a few times, she has shown a strength that I hope that you might be able to learn from."

"What do you mean learn from?" Rhioko said with curiosity.

"Well, beings like ourselves have to walk the line of balance. Sometimes we have to do some bad things to set the world right and sometimes bad things happen to those we care about." Rhioko grew worried. "I don't mean to scare you Rhioko, but you are not going to have an easy life. there will be trials, and dark times ahead of you, but also with that you will have and see great things take place." With this the Witchblade raised his hand. "Trust me once you fall through a few alternate realities and deal with a few ghosts, demons and angels, you will get the swing of things." With that the Witchblade shook his head. "But darn aliens," Witchblade rolled his eyes and groaned. . . "Arrg . learn to use your post-cog powers quick on them. That will save you a few headaches on learning if they are here to destroy the world or just running away from a bad marriage." There was a long sigh. "alien princesses are the worse... when they haven't been raised with some common sense about what commoners do." Rhioko leaned over and hugged Witchblade.

"You are a nice person. A bit scary, but you are like my mom in her superhero form. Just trying to do the right thing." Witchblade patted the girl on the head.

"well I believe that your mom would agree with you there." Then the Witchblade leaned in. "Just don't let anyone take your voice away. Sometimes being heard, even as a whisper can change the world."

"Okay... Mr. Witchblade." Rhioko nodded at this piece of advice she had been given as she watched the AC kick in and stir up the grass in the simulated environment.

* * *

Neri was walked next to the psychologist named Echo, for most of the Blue who had been stationed here at the base Neri had adjusted to infiltrate quite well into the culture here. Though she was still a little freaked out by the Alices. Who in the Almighty God of the Blue creates a legion of women warriors based off of the same template of a single individual? But when one of the Alices noticed that she was a little uneasy at being around her and her sisters, she came over to speak with her. The conversation didn't last long, but when the cloned woman rolled up her sleeve and revealed a tattoo on her wrist that showed a dolphin and other clone showed another image of a flower that Neri started to calm down.

"One thing about us clones, is that many of us choose body art to tell the others apart." With that she pulled out a picture of herself and a little girl. "Out of the hundred of us, a few of us are parents and trust me, Alice Rabbit, Alice Wolf, Alice Bear, Alice Willow, Alice Apple, Alice Christmas, and myself all get together each year to have a good time." There was a soft grin to her face. "Trust me we blew through an entire store isle of hair dye so that we would look different."

"Then why are you all looking the same again?" Neri said looking at the crowd of clones.

"Right now, given the entire Cloneblade mess... they, the IOA need a few of us around to help calm things down given that Clone showed up in the report several times."

"Oh . . ." Neri got her answer.

"Don't worry, We are not the only clones running around, I mean the Island clones, the Arcadia Clones, and the Caprica Clones all sent dups here to help."

"Yeah, and Alice Star is pregnant by one of the Island guys." One of the Alices called out as she held up her phone. "She just e-mailed me the ultrasound." With that everyone huddled together around the image on the phone's screen and Neri started to understand that these clones, though sharing the same face, were more sisters than duplicates of the same person.

"Baby Shower." One of the Alices called out.

"Baby Shower?" Neri realized that her lack of Human culture might be getting her into trouble.

"Trust me; you are going to learn how different we are from each other." Alice Dolphin said taking Neri to the side.

"Yeah... Clones are real party animals." Echo said looking up from the image, "What do you think the topic of my got my Doctoral degree Thesis was." With that Neri noticed that this human knew more about some of the groups here than she did.

"So this celebration is something real important to them." Neri said seeing that Echo was welcomed among these females.

"Well it is... Clones strive for individuality and with children; they are seen as diversifying the gene pool. So whenever one has a kid, it is a chance to do things better and make changes that need to be made." Echo said peeking up from the phone screen. "That and for some Clones, having a child tends to be a little hard, so whenever one is able to have a baby, it is a major thing for them."

"So the celebration... this baby shower... they see it as a chance to be different."

"Totally, Having a kid is part of it a chance to undo some of the wrongs done to us. But the pregnancies tend to be hard. I had to have a Cesarean section so that I could give birth to my child, all because some of my plumbing got screwed up when I was created. So if we can have a natural vaginal birth is major thing for us who can bear children." This was when another Alice spoke up.

"Occasionally some of have had miscarriages and that is why we stick together and care for the ones that are able to give birth. So when any group of clones that happen to come from the same batch of brothers or sisters we do the most normal sibling thing to do and dolt on them."

"Like the Rei's... remember their party and how many trained to be midwives."

"Hey... and remember that male stripper they hired." Quite a few of them blushed and giggled. "How about we hire a stripper for our party?" Neri got the feeling that what was about to take place would be a little more than what she expected.

"Neri... What do your people do to celebrate the announcement of one of their own about to be parents?"

"Ah... Ah..." This was going to be way out of her scope of knowledge as she froze being stuck in the path of an oncoming shark that was called information overload. Then Neri saw the Witchblade Masane and her daughter both in their armored forms and rushed over to them. "Lady Masane, I have been invited to a Baby Shower and I'm a little out of my element." Masane reached over and placed a hand on the girl's shoulder.

"Don't worry," Masane leaned over and called out to the girls. "Mind that I come?" Out of the group everyone nodded in agreement.

"Yeah you can come..." One of the Clones called out and in a way Neri felt okay seeing that there was going to be someone there to help guide her through this ceremony.

"Okay... but let's keep the drinks to something non-alcoholic for Neri here." Masane called out. and there were nods of agreement.

"Hey... Most of the punch we make we use Orange sorbet and ginger ale... and that has been in place ever since the infamous Kay-Mart Vodka incident." Alice Dolphin said.

"Yeah... the party ended quickly after we had to rush her to the emergency room along with Alice Buffalo for alcohol poisoning." Another clone said looking up.

"Yeah, that is the last time I want to see two Costco foot-long chili dogs sloshed on a tray in-front of me in the same day."

"Ah Um... Once going down and later on coming back up." One of the Clones said.

"Kay-Mart?" Neri said wondering at the reference about this person. "Who is she?"

"A Friend of ours that we met a few years back, Kay and her friends took up shelter in a closed store named K-Mart and made it a base of operation after an outbreak of a mutant Cordyceps fungus. Got out of a lab and infected a group of people. To top it off, the entire mess took place during a class five-hurricane hit the Atlantic Coast of the United States."

"Heard about that?" Masane said. "Because of the flooding and all of the moisture, those infected started to act like zombies."

"Yeah... it took a while to work through all of the affected areas spaying nuclear grade nano enhanced fungicide, even on the victims to clean up the mess. Kay and her friends held up one of the few dry areas around and armed themselves against looters and those infected."

"That was until Alice Prime and a few of us came in and aided in the clean up." This caught Masane and Neri's attention.

"Yeah, it wasn't until that Artificial intelligence, the one that wasn't trying to kill us decided to help and was able to deploy those drones with that crop equipped with dusting equipment that we were able to get that fungus outbreak under control." One of the clones said.

"Yeah... Queen knew what she was doing when she helped us out in doing all of that lab work." Alice Dolphin said.

"Last I heard, Queen still had her AI in the coastal area and had started to let humans into one of her server farms."

"Yeah... Queen sure like's kids and given that Kay and her friends got hired on to help nurse her systems along after the mess. It is kinda of good for them given that many of them grew up on the streets. For the most part, they like the fact they have a roof over their heads and there is plenty of space for them to stretch out."

"What about the bad Artificial intelligence that tried to kill you?" Rhioko said speaking up. "What happened to it?"

"Well, the last I heard about dear old Red. The last of her parts had been crushed and melted down for scrap." Alice Dolphin said as she reached into a wrist guard she was wearing. and pulled something out "But I did keep her old Master Laser crystal code key."

"Ooh... You kept her frontal lobe. Try booting up without that Bitch." One of the clones looked over at the slender crystal rod that looked like plastic key at both ends. "Wait, are those teeth marks?"

"Yeah... My daughter used it as a teething ring."

"Talk about karmic payback... it tired to eat us with its creations, and your daughter gets payback by chewing on its frontal lobe." Masane reached out to touch the key and when her eyes glowed as one of her powers kicked in, promptly dove for the garbage can and vomited.

"You okay?" Echo called out as she rushed over to the warrior's side.

"One sec..." Masane said as she vomited again before heaving and coughing a few times to compose herself "Okay... the bitch had to die." Neri was concerned about this.

"Post Cog powers, they kicked in right?" Echo said concerned.

"Well, not the first time, but man... that item packs a wallop on the senses." Masane coughed a few times after that.

"Well, trust me... I bleach my fridge when I find mold inside of it." The Alice said putting the key back.

"Nooooo... Joke..." Masane said shaking her head a few times. "I think I can still smell the Mildew." which was said with a cough.

"You can see the past?" Neri said looking at the warrior.

"Yeah... Sometimes it throws me for a loop given some of the information I get. I am still learning to control it." Masane shook her head a few times. "Talk about high definition smell. Whoa..." Masane's eyes started to tear up as she processed through the memories. "Queen, worked hard to save those people." With that she looked down at the key in her hand. "You are all designated after Alice in Wonderland references." Masane looked at the clones."The outbreak and you guys came out of the same mess... Well the same organization." Masane looked at Rhioko with concern. "So you came out of the same circumstances that created the Cloneblades and the X-Cons."

There was a nod from the clones.

"Yeah... the same tech the disappeared making us, showed up here in Japan to make the NeoGenes." one of the Alices said. "why do you think we are here?"

"You are prototypes of the NeoGenes?" Neri said putting the pieces together.

"Yeah..." one of the clones said looking over at Neri. "There are only a few pieces of tech that are capable of producing a human in the short amount of time that Furumizu needed to achieve his goals. But since it was used to create other humans and all of the legal stuff pertaining to clones, all of the Cloneblade research gets to be clumped into ours."

"So... My Aunt Reina, since she is a doctor has legal clone stuff deal with too in her paperwork?" Rhioko said lending her own two cents to the discussion.

"Depends on what she knows and how much?" Echo said looking at the young girl "But given that we have the records to work with, she might be able to keep her doctor's license with a few restrictions on the end research she will be able to do."

"So my Aunt Reina might be grounded for knowing some stuff." Rhioko was getting angry and sad.

"No... She wouldn't be grounded... just that the restrictions are there to keep her out of trouble."

"Oh... like wearing oven mitts so that you can take out a hot tray cake out of the oven." Rhioko shrugged. "Okay..." Understanding the facts as she knew them. "That is not so bad. This is so she doesn't get hurt. That is a good thing." Rhioko prodded back to her mom and leaned against her. "Mom... I was just wondering... When more of my powers kick in, is throwing up going to be normal?" With that Rhioko looked at her daughter and grinned.

"No... it isn't. Though, my first few armor ups . . . I will wait until you are a little order to tell you about them."

"Oh, the hormones. . . Luna told me about those." Echo said getting a glare from Masane. "Don't worry Rhioko, They are nothing bad . . . Just be ready for some weird dreams and needing a lot of body lotion."

"My skin is going to be that itchy?" Rhioko said worried.

"No..." Masane injected. "Not itchy, just..." Masane searched for the right word to say. "the lotion calms you down so that you sleep better."

"Okay... that explains the first few months while we were living at Miss Marry's and all of the time you spent in the bathroom putting lotion all over your body." Masane blushed at this.

"Is the transformation into your armored state that..." Neri reached over and touched Masane's armor. "Stressful to your body?"

"No... Just..." Masane got up and walked over to Neri and whispered into her ear so that Rhioko couldn't hear her. "Just that between the urge to kill, you want to fornicate with anything around you... Heavily and for a long time." Neri's jaw hit the floor at this as her eyes went wide.

"That Hormonal!" Neri got the reference looking at the armor. "So... If a Blue such as myself ever got a blade like yours... the side effect of it would be..." Images flooded her mind her experiencing the loss of her virginity and producing several children in the process. Looking down at Rhioko, Neri now understood Masane's reluctance to grant her daughter her full powers. The disturbing image of the young girl being turned into a lust filled killing machine that wanted to copulate during combat made her wince. "No wonder you are holding off of her getting her armored form until she is older."

"No, Joke.. I was hoping to delay her getting her powers to say like forty." Masane said looking at the group of women. "So... when are you all going to hold this baby shower?" The Alices grinned and felt that things had looped back into place.

"Before the end of the week, two days before the mission."

"Count me in." Masane said looked over to see the image of the baby on the smartphone's screen. "Now is that a boy or a girl? Because I have to figure out which one so I can go and start shopping for that little one some baby clothes." With that Neri leaned over and felt that she started to understand what this Baby Shower was.

It was a pooling of resources and materials the young mother would need for caring for her child and being invited along for the celebration was just part of connecting with the young mother to be.

In this case, the Alice Sisterhood wanted to celebrate the arrival of a new nephew or niece into their family.

For the Witchblade and her daughter it was something more. . . A chance to connect with fellow parents and share stories about child rising and the successes and failures they had experience with their own children.

For Neri, she realized that though she was still in her teens, she did one day want to have a family and learning what it was to be a parent from these women would be of benefit for her.

"So… Tell me of the traditions this celebration requires. Are there to be any males there?" Neri said with concern.

"No… Just all girls, but… There might be a stripper." The reference to that got a blaring glare from the Witchblade.

"Well, let's make it child friendly and keep the stripper idea until later, say after the rescue operation and maybe a marriage proposal." There were a few nods.

"We can live with that." The Alices said as they looked back at the images on the screen and thumbed through them to figure out which gender the child was.

"Mom… is that a…" Masane the Witchblade went white as a sheet when her daughter pointed out an anomaly on the screen and quickly panicked to guide her child away. There were several dumbfounded looks on the clones as they became worried and excited at the discovery of what gender the unborn child was to be.

* * *

Kyoko Sasaki sat outside of the apartment complex where Masane used to live. Kyoko had to know... Oh, God she had to know. Between the nightmares and so forth and seeing Masane...

Oh. God... That Mon...

Kyoko stopped herself there.

Masane could probably rip her head off and shove it up her ass without thinking.

First off Kyoko had to learn the truth... What was Masane? The other girls that had been with her, they looked to be the same kind of creature... And there were files that her anonymous contact had given her about what Furumizu had been up to and the girls he had cloned and altered into... Whatever Masane was.

Was Masane some sort of weaponized human? Alien being?, or some sort of . . . Whatever.

Kyoko slapped herself across her face a few times to center herself. Okay... that was good. Kyoko cleared her throat and pulled out her smartphone and laid it down on the dash of her car. Hitting the onscreen quick boot commands with her fingers Kyoko brought up the Pico projected virtual keyboard on her dash and started to type. She needed to plan for the worse in-case this didn't work out as planned as she composed her e-mail to her boss, staff, the news girls, and to her daughter and Yuusuke.

_This is my last will and testament in the event I am missing for longer than a week, or the event that I have died._

_Whatever story I am working on, especially the one that pertains to the secrets of the NSWF group will be made public. I hope that any references that have been made about the Witchblade being called a monster will be apologized for._

_**I only put the pieces together recently about whom the Witchblade is and how she came to be friends with Yuusuke. Oh, God... what I called her to her face during those meetings when she wasn't armored. I am the true monster here.**_

_**Yuuki, if I don't make it out of this. Yuusuke Tozawa is your father. It was a one-night stand and it was us celebrating from his first major photo log being published. he was very art-school about it and that is what I liked about him. You always said that we should be together. Well, we were... We just drifted apart, so I ask that any lawyer that reads this consent that Yuusuke becomes Yuuki's legal guardian as per my request.**_

_**To Masane Amaha... I am sorry for calling you a monster... there I said it. I called you a monster to everyone's face for working for Douji Industries. I don't know if you are going to kill me. . or worse... But if I had known all of the things that you did to protect this city by working with the X-Con Disposal Squad. . . I would have been more sympathetic to your plight. I know that you were doing it to protect your daughter and the rest of the innocent who live in this city.**_

_**I have so many questions to ask you about what you did with your job and I hope to get answers from if you accept my apology for how rudely I treated you. **_

_**For Rhioko Amaha, I know that you a NeoGene that Masane raised as her own flesh and blood. I hope that you forgive me for what I called your mother. And if and when you do develop those superpowers that the other NeoGenes have, that you will not use them for evil or ill will. **_

_**I wish that you remain friends with my daughter Yuuki in the years to come. You two were so great together when we were at that beach party together and I am sorry about all the things I called your Mom. I was only running with the facts I knew of at the time.**_

_**To Yuusuke, I know that dropping the following information that you are Yuuki's dad on you is one major bombshell I hoped to avoid, but like any career woman, I wanted to give my child a better life. Photojournalists are known not to earn a lot of money, but you do have an eye for taking the right photo at the right time. Please take some time and provide Yuuki a life worthy of a girl that is your daughter. I know it won't be easy, but I hope that you two will make it work.**_

After a while Kyoko kept pounding on the keyboard to finish up her document before she sent it off, but mostly she just wanted to ensure that certain key things were hit on so that if this went south really fast, well. . . She had a good life.

Getting out of her car she walked into Marry's. Taking up a seat up at one of the tables Kyoko watched as the rotund woman come up to her. Kyoko bit her lip and looked away feeling like a heel of a shoe.

"You have some nerve coming here." The woman said looking at Kyoko but seeing the distress changed her mood to concern.

"I figured out... I put the pieces Yuusuke was saying together... About Masane... What Masane is... Mellony..." Marry reached out and realized that this woman took knew Masane's secret.

"So...you figured it out." There was no anger, no spite in the voice as Marry sat down at the table.

"How... how long have you known?" Kyoko said feeling that she was further out of the loop than she thought.

"Let's see... When everyone here in the building found out that Masane had superpowers was the night where she got declared as a runaway I-weapon that was sprinting through the city just after Takayama got fired for Douji." Marry rubbed her chin. "Trust me... Masane looked scary as Hell, and she probably went through Hell just to get back to Rhioko given that she practically collapsed in the girl's arms." there was a long sigh from Marry. "She was pretty dazed when she woke up but seeing Rhioko made her calm down a lot."

"Did she tell you what she was?" Kyoko said feeling that she was entering into some territory that she was unsure of.

"For the most part, we asked, but I got the feeling that how she became that way was lost to her when she lost her memory in the Great Quake." Marry leaned back in her chair. "The good news is that Takayama started digging around to see what he could fish out about her. Name, locations, past childhood memories. Some of it, there was no connection there, but in a way last I heard was that she started learning how to use other powers she gained from the Witchblade to recall some of this stuff."

"What do you mean by other powers?" Kyoko said worried.

"Well, from what Rhioko has said over the phone is that he Mom was able to locate a half sister that is with her biological mother using her powers." Marry shrugged. "Somehow the two of them got sucked up in that entire blaze of light that Masane used to teleport the I-Weapons away and Masane has been spending the last few weeks convincing several government agencies to give her the resources to help her rescue these folks from where she has been for the last six months."

"Do you know where she has been?" Kyoko said leaning forward.

"I don't know, but Masane said that she would be swinging by here with Takayama and Rhioko here in a little while to have dinner here. Mostly I think it is because I think she got all of the paperwork filled out to get these kids back home that I think they are heading out to celebrate." This had Kyoko's attention.

"Do you think that they might allow me to come over and speak to them? I mean after what I called Rhioko's mom?" Kyoko was worried like crazy.

"Listen, you can stay, but understand if they ask you to leave. You respect that decision. Okay." Marry said reaching out and taking Kyoko's hand in her's.

"I... I'll do that!" Kyoko said worried.

"Good, because you look like you need to have a drink." With that Marry got up and walked behind the bar of the small hole in the wall restaurant and pulled out a bottle of Kentucky Bourbon.

* * *

Kyoko felt sick to her stomach as she woke up with a splitting headache. Between the blinding light and blurry vision she saw... Rhioko...

As a Witchblade...

"Hi..." That was all it took to shove Kyoko awake with a vengeance.

Oh, Crap... Rhioko had powers! Not good! Nooootttt Good!

Kyoko kicked backwards several times across the bed she was in and fell off of it and into the floor. That was when she saw Masane peeking her head around the corner of the small apartment they were in.

"Hey... you are awake!" Masane said cheerily as she came over around the bed carrying a garbage can in her hands. "Sorry, about me looking so disheveled, but look at you." Masane out the trash can down and offered her hand out to help her up.

"What happened?" Kyoko said worried that was when Rhioko recounted the events.

"Let's see you came over. Gave Mom a hug, cried like crazy. Then you fell down to your knees said that you were sorry for calling my mom a monster, then you threw up over me when Mom's eye started to glow." Kyoko looked over to see Masane's eyes were glowing.

"Sorry, my eyes are glowing." Masane closed her eyes several times in an attempt to make them stop. Then patting her eyes several times in vain to change them back. Masane gave up and sighed. "Sorry, Spidey sense is on and I can't turn it off."

"So... is there going to be danger here or am I the Danger?" Kyoko said concerned. With that Masane sighed hard.

"Kyoko, I know that you figured out who and what I am." Kyoko pulled back some scared. "Yuusuke called and told me about your middle of the night phone call you made to him." With that Masane huffed a hard breath out. "Kind of figured that you show up with an entire news crew behind you." Then Masane bit her lip, "Kinda of good that you didn't for your sake given that you freaked and puked right after you started talking with me."

"How... how bad did I start throwing up?" Kyoko said concerned.

"Well, hard enough that I had to change Rhioko out of her clothes." With that Rhioko bounced over to Kyoko's other side.

"Yeah, the only change of clothes I had at the time was the costume that Mom and Miss Courtney had made for me." With that Rhioko pulled on the sleeve of the unitard body. "It is nothing like my Mom's real costume, but we had a good time yesterday afternoon running around the various testing areas of Reiji's old company." With that Rhioko was beaming. "Did you know that they had and entire forest growing in one of the underground domes! Mom cut loose with her powers and showed me what she could do with them. I mean other than that time she had to fight off that robot tank that attacked us on the Freeway."

"Rhioko..." Masane called out to scold her daughter in a panicked voice. Kyoko gulped hard at that image.

"Uh... Listen... I could come back later." Kyoko said a little freaked out. Masane bit her lip and looked away in shame.

"Kyoko. . ." Masane reached into her pocket and presented Kyoko's cellphone. "Your boss called while you were asleep and was freaking out about the e-mail you had sent off." Kyoko slapped her head remembering the e-mail. "I... opened up your e-mail program and read your outgoing messages." There was a sigh from her. "What do you want to know?" This time Masane's eyes had changed back to normal.

"How..." Kyoko said looking at Masane. "How do you, How did you..." Masane closed her eyes and right before Kyoko's eyes Masane changed into her Red Armored Witchblade form and looked at Kyoko. Taking a step forward, Masane fell down on her face after getting her foot tangled in the sheets of the bed. "Masane!" Kyoko just reacted reaching down the roll her friend over.

"You still have two left feet Mom." Rhioko said hopping on-top of the bed. Kyoko turned to see that the rounded features of Masane's face were still there, not harsh battle anger, or fear was present. This was Masane... This had always been Masane. The same Masane who was now looking up at Kyoko sheepishly in embarrassment from the floor the same way she had when they had gone on that beach trip together.

"This is you..." Kyoko said offering her hand out to help Masane up.

"Yeah... still the same dopey messed up me." Kyoko felt Masane' grip on her wrist and it was like the time they were sunbathing on the beach talking about being single parents. "Just in Armor that would be worthy of a stripper." With that Masane flexed her body a few times and the Armor reconfigured itself to become less stripper worthy and more spandex yoga worthy.

"Wow..." Kyoko said reaching out to poke at the armor. "How..." Kyoko said in awe.

"How about I start from the beginning and tell you everything I know so far." Masane said as she reached over and fiddled with Kyoko's smartphone and activated the memo recording application on the phone. "You came here for an interview... Start interviewing."

"Ah..." Kyoko looked at the phone as it started to count up and took it from Masane. "This is Kyoko Sasaki and I am interviewing the Witchblade Masane..." Kyoko looked at Masane with concern if this mother wanted her name mentioned for all to know.

"Well, Masane is one name that I have adopted, but Yuusuke calls me Mellany, but my birth name was Yasuka at the orphanage I was at prior to the day of the Great Quake." There was a sigh from Masane as she started her tale. "That day changed a lot of lives in this country, including mine. It was the day that Yasuke died and Masane was born." Kyoko leaned back and listened to this woman, mother, and warrior talk about her life. She got her answers and a lot more.

A respect about this person who she now called a friend.

* * *

TBC

* * *

I hope that you all liked this chapter and will stay tuned for the next one up.

Oh, and the design for Rhioko's armor came from me looking around at various Witchblade sites and finding a figurine of Rhioko in a "kids form" of Masane's stage one armor.

I had to throw in a _Last of Us_ and a _Resident Evil_ reference into this story to mix things up given I wanted to show the diversity of the IOA organization and load a Checkov gun for next chapter. Stay tuned.

Please post a review below and let me know what you thing of the story so far.

Also I am taking requests mechs, robots, and weapons for the big battle for next chapter.

Masane and Luna pool their resources to perform **Operation Fishing Trip** or **Leo Getz Lands a Shark**.


End file.
